When I walked inside Lucy’s room, the sheer relief was instant. She looked up at me, and her small face brightened, her eyes immediately lighting up with pure, unadulterated pleasure at my presence. Seeing that genuine enthusiasm, even after the chaotic, exhausting day we'd all just survived, made me genuinely chuckle. It was a small, normal moment I desperately needed to anchor myself.
I crossed the room. I first gently picked up the deeply sleeping Alicia, whose exhausted body had simply shut down, and carefully settled her onto the mattress right beside Lucy, pulling the soft duvet over both of them. Then, I sat directly in front of my daughter and kept my voice soft, calm, and utterly non-judgmental. “Why do you hate her so much, Luce?” I asked, seeking to understand the root of her r
