Chapter 20
Lily’ s health improved dramatically.
The gene therapy was working miracles.
Soon, she was discharged from the hospital, declared in remission.
Sarah’ s relief was immense.
But her resolve to leave Ethan’ s house remained.
She couldn’t stay. Not after everything.
Ethan, however, had other plans.
He had transformed one of the largest suites in the mansion into a
wonderland for Lily.
Pink walls. A canopy bed. Mountains of toys.
Bookshelves filled with every children’s classic.
Lily was ecstatic.
“Mommy, can we live here forever?” she asked, her eyes shining.
Sarah’ s heart ached.
How could she deny Lily this happiness? This security?
“We’re just staying until you’re all better, sweetie,” she said, her voice
gentle but firm.
Ethan overheard.
He stepped into the room.
“Lily is my daughter, Sarah,” he said, his voice quiet but firm. “This is
her home. And yours. If you’ll have it.”
He fully embraced his role as a father.
He woke Lily in the mornings. He made her breakfast. He played with
her. He tucked her into bed at night.
He was patient. Loving. Consistent.
Sarah watched him.
She saw the genuine love in his eyes when he looked at Lily.
She saw the quiet care he extended to her.
Her heart, so long guarded, so long frozen, began to soften.
She found herself imagining a different life.
A life where the golden days hadn’t shattered.
A life with Ethan, the Ethan he was now, not the monster he had been.
One evening, Lily, with the innocent directness of a child, asked Ethan,
“Daddy, why were you so grumpy before? And why are you so nice now?”
Ethan sat on Lily’ s bed, Sarah standing in the doorway.
He looked at Lily, then at Sarah.
His eyes were filled with a deep, profound remorse.
“Because, sweetie,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, “Daddy was a
fool. A blind, stupid fool. I made a lot of mistakes. I hurt your Mommy
very, very much. And I hurt you.”
He took Lily’ s small hand in his.
“I can never take back the bad things I did,” he continued. “But I can
spend the rest of my life trying to make up for them. Trying to be the
father you deserve. And the man your Mommy deserves.”
Tears welled in Sarah’ s eyes.
“Will you stay, Daddy?” Lily asked, her voice small. “Will you stay with
us always?”
Ethan looked at Sarah, a silent question in his eyes.
Then he looked back at Lily.
“Yes, sweetie,” he said, his voice firm. “I will always be here. I will
always take care of you and your Mommy. I promise.”
He hugged Lily close.
They fell asleep like that, father and daughter, nestled together in the
big canopy bed.
Sarah watched them, tears streaming down her face.
She had overheard his confession. His promise.
Her resistance, so long her shield, crumbled.
Maybe … just maybe … this impossible second chance was real.