{"id":21884,"date":"2025-11-30T21:25:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T21:25:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=21884"},"modified":"2025-11-30T21:25:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T21:25:20","slug":"21884","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readmore.cx\/?p=21884","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

When morning came, Lily woke up to the smell of pancakes.<\/p>\n

Daniel hadn\u2019t cooked in years. The first batch burned, smoke curling above the pan.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re worse than Mama,\u201d Lily giggled.<\/p>\n

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For the first time in what felt like forever, Daniel laughed. A real laugh\u2014not the polite, hollow smile he wore at board meetings. Something cracked open inside him.<\/p>\n

Later, as she wandered around the living room, Lily stopped in front of the fireplace. On the mantle, there was a framed photo of a smiling woman and a young boy\u2014Daniel\u2019s late wife and son.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s your family?\u201d she asked quietly.<\/p>\n

Daniel nodded, pain flickering in his eyes. \u201cYes. They were.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lily slipped her small hand into his.<\/p>\n

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When morning came, Lily woke up to the smell of pancakes. Daniel hadn\u2019t cooked in years. The first batch burned, smoke curling above the pan. \u201cYou\u2019re worse than Mama,\u201d Lily giggled. For the first time in what felt like forever, Daniel laughed. A real laugh\u2014not the polite, hollow smile he wore at board meetings. Something…<\/p>\n

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