“She’s beautiful,” Jessica said.
“Thank you.”
They talked for an hour.
Jessica didn’t ask about Claire’s parents.
She didn’t ask about the trial.
She just asked about Lily.
And Claire.
And whether they could get coffee sometime.
Claire said yes.
It felt like stepping into sunlight.
When Lily turned six months old, Claire enrolled in online classes.
She’d always wanted to study early childhood education.
Her parents had told her it was a waste of time.
Now, she had time.
And money.
And no one to tell her no.
She studied while Lily napped.
She wrote essays at midnight.
She took exams in the cottage with Marie watching Lily in the next room.
Edward would sit with her sometimes, reading his own books, just keeping her company.
“You’re doing well,” he said one evening.
Claire looked up from her laptop.
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
His voice was warm.
Proud.
Claire’s throat tightened.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“For not giving up on me.”
