Her thumb pressed lightly, reassuring. “He’s trying, even when it looks like he’s stumbling. And he will stumble. But his heart is in the right place.” A faint smile curved her lips. “Just… don’t give up on him too quickly.”
She squeezed Maya’s shoulder once more. “He needs time. And he needs someone who sees the man beneath the armor.”
A small smile curved her lips. “The way you handled things earlier?” A quiet chuckle followed. “That’s exactly how your mother handled your father.”
Maya blinked, surprised.
“Oh yes,” Dahlia continued, amusement softening her tone. “Malia was never confrontational. She hated arguments—raised voices, dramatic scenes, all of it. But don’t mistake that for weakness.” She withdrew her hand from Maya’s shoulder, folding it loosely at her side. “When Julian w
