Grace leaned over the bed and lightly brushed her fingers across her daughter's feet.
"Wake up, my treasure. It's Monday," she said softly. "I'm not going to put on your uniform and go to school for you."
Belinda laughed, still half-asleep, then suddenly sat up and grabbed her mother's hands.
"That's not fair, Mom! You cheated!" she protested, tickling Grace back with all the strength her small arms could manage.
Grace laughed and surrendered, noticing the empty space where one of Belinda's front teeth used to be. Another reminder that her little girl was growing up faster than she wanted to admit.
"All right, all right," Grace said between laughs. "You win. Now let's get you in the shower. Life doesn't wait."
In the kitchen, the smell of fresh coffee and toasted bread filled the air. Luisa was already at the table, placing a slice of toast on Belinda's plate when she turned and smiled.
"My granddaughter looks beautiful today," she said proudly. "Where's Grandma's kiss?"
Belinda leaned forward without hesitation and kissed her grandmother's cheek. Grace watched the scene with a quiet smile. Moments like this still felt unreal—calm, safe, ordinary. Things she once believed she might never have again.
"She never forgets," Grace said gently.
Luisa took a sip of coffee and looked at her daughter with quiet concern.
"You have therapy today, don't you, sweetheart?"
Grace nodded.
"Yes. I can't deal with everything I went through with Ted on my own," she said, exhaling slowly. "At least my therapist is also my best friend."
Luisa reached across the table and squeezed Grace's hand.
"I have no doubt you're doing the right thing."
Belinda pushed her toast around the plate, thoughtful. Then she looked up, serious in a way that didn't quite belong on a child her age.
"Mom… is my dad a monster?" she asked. "Like the ones kids are afraid of when they go to sleep?"
Something tightened in Grace's chest. She kept her voice calm.
"Sweetheart, you're still too young to think about that right now," she said. "But know this—if your father were a good man, I would never have kept him out of your life."
Luisa gently brushed Belinda's hair back.
"Your mother has never hidden who your father is," she said. "And when you're older, when you understand life better, she'll tell you everything."
Belinda nodded, seemingly satisfied—for now.
After dropping her daughter off at school, Grace drove to a familiar building. The therapist's office no longer made her hands shake the way it once had, but some habits were hard to break.
Lauren smiled as Grace settled into the chair across from her.
"Talking about Ted today doesn't feel as heavy as it used to," Grace admitted. "But I can't deny it—he's still like a shadow. It's impossible not to remember him. Especially since Belinda looks so much like him."
"What matters," Lauren said gently, "is that you've healed most of the pain you carried when you first came to me five years ago. You're not as afraid anymore. And that's essential for Belinda."
Grace lowered her gaze, letting the words sink in.
"To her," Lauren continued, "you're a hero. She needs a mother who can protect her."
Grace hesitated.
"This morning, at breakfast, Belinda asked me if her father was a monster," she said. "I didn't know what to say."
Lauren remained silent for a moment.
"It may be time for Belinda to begin understanding who her father really is," she said carefully. "Slowly. Gently. In a safe environment."
Grace nodded, though a quiet unease settled in her chest.
That night, after Belinda had fallen asleep, Grace stood by the window longer than usual. The street outside was quiet.
Too quiet.
She didn't know why her hands were shaking.
She only knew that the past had a cruel way of finding its way back—no matter how deeply it had been buried.