THIRD PERSON POV
Sophia stood frozen in the hospital hallway. She had oranges scattered at her feet.
Ashley’s words echoed in her mind on a cruel loop: Can I start calling Tiffany ’Mom’?
A sob built in her throat, threatening to break free. She bit down hard on her lip, tasting blood.
She couldn’t break down here, not in the hospital hallway where anyone could see, not where Damien and Ashley might hear her.
So she did what she’d been doing for months - she swallowed the pain, straightened her spine, and walked away.
She made it to her car before the first sob escaped.
Then another.
Then she was crying so hard she couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, could only feel the terrible, crushing weight of losing everything that had ever mattered to her.
DAMIEN’S POV
I stared at my daughter, trying to process what she’d just asked. The innocent hope in her eyes made my chest tight.
"Ashley," I said carefully, "why would you want to call Tiffany ’Mom’? Sophia is your mother."
Ashley’s expression crumpled. "But she doesn’t act like it!"
"What do you mean?"
"Remember that rainy day last month?" Tears welled up in Ashley’s eyes. "I was so sad because I missed Grandma Sky, and I begged Mommy - I mean, Sophia - to take me to see her. But she said no!"
I frowned, trying to remember. "Ashley-"
"She said she had to take Klara somewhere instead!" The tears spilled over now. "She chose Klara over me, Daddy. Her real daughter didn’t matter as much as her niece!"
The pain in her voice was real, even if I suspected there was more to the story than what she was telling me.
"And then," Ashley continued, her voice breaking, "I called her that night from the car because I was scared and alone, and she didn’t even answer! She was probably with Klara having fun while I was crying!"
Guilt twisted in my gut. I remembered that day now. Remembered Ashley calling me from Tiffany’s car, upset about something. But I’d been busy with a meeting and had assumed Tiffany would handle it.
"Baby girl," I said gently, pulling her into a careful hug around her IV line. "I’m sure Sophia wasn’t trying to hurt you. She probably had a good reason-"
"She doesn’t love me anymore," Ashley whispered against my shoulder. "Not like Tiffany does. Tiffany always has time for me. Tiffany makes me feel special. Tiffany wants to be my mom."
When had my daughter become so sure that her mother didn’t love her?
"Listen to me very carefully," I said, pulling back to look at her face. "Sophia will always be your mother, always. She gave birth to you. She loves you. And nothing will ever change that."
"But-"
"No buts." I made my voice firm but gentle. "Tiffany is wonderful, and she cares about you very much. But she is Miss Tiffany, not Mom. Do you understand the difference?"
Ashley’s face fell. "So, I can’t call her Mom at all?"
"No, sweetheart. That title belongs to Sophia and only Sophia. Sophia loves you,"
“Okay daddy. I just wish..." She trailed off.
"Wish what?"


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