Emily shook her head slowly.
“No,” she said softly. “Life just… happened.”
The twins tugged on his coat.
“Daddy,” Lily said, “she’s still cold.”
Daniel looked down at Emily’s bare feet on the concrete.
Something inside him shifted again.
A decision forming.
He removed his long wool coat and crouched down beside her.
Emily blinked in surprise.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re not staying here,” he said simply.
“I can’t—”
“Yes, you can.”
He wrapped the coat around her shoulders before she could protest.
It smelled faintly of cedar and winter air.
Warm.
For the first time in weeks, Emily felt warmth.
Not just from the fabric.
From the moment itself.
“I have a guest room,” Daniel continued calmly. “And tomorrow morning we’ll talk to HR.”
Emily stared at him.
“What?”
“You’re getting your job back.”
Tears filled her eyes before she could stop them.
“I don’t even have shoes,” she whispered.
Emma immediately brightened.
“We can fix that!”
For illustrative purposes only
Lily nodded enthusiastically.
“Daddy buys us shoes all the time.”
Daniel couldn’t help smiling slightly.
“Yes,” he said gently. “We’ll start with shoes.”
He offered Emily his hand.
For a moment she hesitated.
Pride.
Fear.
Hope.
Then she took it.
Daniel helped her stand.
The twins clapped as if they had just solved the world’s biggest problem.
“See?” Lily said proudly.
Emma grinned.
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