Laurel paused before answering, “Because I realized that if I didn’t follow my dreams now, I never would.”

I turned off the TV.

Later that night, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

I know you saw it.

Of course, it was from Laurel.

I stared at the screen, my chest tight, before responding.

Then why didn’t you just tell me?

It took her a while to reply.

Because I knew you’d try to stop me.

And that was when it hit me. I could have fought. I could have begged. I could have tried to bring her back.

But the truth was, Laurel had never wanted the life we shared. So, I let her go.

I blocked her number, filed for sole custody, and we tried to move forward.

But I still had to explain it all to Alice.

“Do you still love Mommy?”

I paused. “I do, but I love you more.”

The waffle iron gave a beep.

“Alright, let’s smother these in chocolate sauce,” I said.

“Can we add more ice cream too?” she laughed.

And in that moment, the kitchen felt alive once more.