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The Healing

Author: Amelia Hart
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-11-10 20:49:14

Two months after visiting Mark in prison, Elena was making pancakes on a Saturday morning when Sophia appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Mom, can we talk?"

Elena looked at her nine-year-old daughter, who had grown taller and more serious since the boat incident.

"Of course, sweetheart. What's on your mind?"

Sophia climbed onto the kitchen stool and watched Elena flip pancakes.

"I've been thinking about Daddy."

Elena felt her stomach tighten. The kids had been seeing a therapist to help them process everything that had happened, but they rarely brought up Mark at home.

"What about him?"

"I understand now why you left him. And why you had to tell everyone about the bad things he did."

Elena set down the spatula and gave Sophia her full attention.

"What do you understand, baby?"

"That Daddy wasn't really nice to you. That he said mean things and made you feel bad about yourself."

Sophia's eyes filled with tears. "And I was mean to you too. I said Veronica was better than you, and I told y
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