"Daddy might be a little late, sweetie, but don’t worry. We’ll have a wonderful night, just you and Mommy, okay?" I forced a smile, but the disappointment mirrored in her eyes was a reflection of my heartbreak.
At the festival, we bought a lantern together. We lit it and watched it ascend, a tiny star climbing against the darkening sky.
Stacey snuggled closer, her tiny hand clutching my arm. "What did you wish for, baby?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Her eyes, bright as the stars she longed for, met mine. "I wish to be with the stars, Mommy, so Daddy could see me shining." Her smile, a beacon of innocence, shattered my heart into a million pieces.
That night, Stacey’s wish was fulfilled — she joined the lanterns, soaring toward the stars and the moon.
Two weeks later, I stood at her graveside, placing delicate flowers on her small plot. Tears spilled down my face, blurring the inscription on her headstone.
My phone suddenly beeped so I took it in my pocket. There's a notification from my stepsister's social media account and it caught my attention.
It was a cheerful beach photo where Maximus and my stepsister, Lalaina, grinning wide.