“We move on because we have to,” Claire said, her voice full of resolve. “We move on for them. For Lily and June.”
Ethan nodded slowly, his gaze shifting to the hallway where the girls’ laughter could be heard as they played in their room. Claire could feel the weight of his stare. She could feel him grappling with his own shame, his own doubts. But she also knew that they had come through the worst of it. They had their daughters back. They were together, and that was the only thing that mattered now.
The road ahead would be long. There would be trials, and there would be pain. But Claire and Ethan were no longer just two people lost in the wreckage of their past. They were a family now. And they would rebuild—one step at a time.
“You’re right,” Ethan said, his voice steady now. “We move on for them.”
And in that moment, Claire felt the weight in her chest lighten just a little. It was far from over, but they had their family back. And for the first time in years, they had a future.
