Chloe’s pov
The six candles on the double-chocolate cake flickered in the warm, quiet dark of our kitchen, casting soft golden light across Harley’s glowing face.
Lisa, Jill, and Ted stood around the rustic pine table, holding hands as we sang the final lines of the birthday song. Sunshine had given way to a cool, misty dusk outside, but inside our stone cottage, the air smelled of sweet cocoa, wild strawberries, and melting wax.
Harley squirmed with excitement on her wooden stool, her little dark pigtails bouncing as she clasped her hands together beneath her chin.
"Make a big wish, sweet girl," Lisa smiled softly, her dark eyes shining with tender pride.
Harley squeezed her dark eyes shut, her lips moving in a silent, dead-serious whisper that was so like her father it made my chest
