“Daddy?”
The small voice cut through the fog in Daniel’s mind like a bell in the quiet. He blinked, the world snapping back into focus — the road unfolding ahead of him, the soft hum of the car engine, the faint scent of vanilla air freshener mingled with Isabella’s strawberry shampoo.
They were driving home. Or at least, that was the plan.
His hands tightened on the steering wheel as his thoughts drifted again — back to the office, back to her. Marian.
He could still see her standing there, sunlight spilling through the glass behind her, catching the faint tremor in her hands and the ache in her eyes. God, she hadn’t changed — or maybe she had, but in all the right ways. Older, yes. Stronger. But still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. His wife. His ex-wife, he corrected hims
