No one in her world spoke to her with that kind of raw honesty.
She slowly knelt to their level, ignoring her designer dress brushing the floor.
“Are you looking for me?” she asked gently.
The middle girl extended her hand with surprising formality.
“I’m Emma Lawson. These are my sisters, Ava and Chloe. Our dad really wanted to come… but he got sick. So we came instead.”
Before Natalie could respond, an older woman rushed in, breathless and panicked.
“I’m so sorry!” she said. “I’m their neighbor—they slipped out while I was watching them. They left a note saying, ‘We have to save Dad’s date.’”
Most people in Natalie’s position would’ve politely ended the night and gone back to their quiet penthouse.
But something in those three pairs of eyes stopped her.
Emma stepped closer, her voice trembling.
“Please don’t be mad at our dad. He tried really hard. He tried on five shirts… he was singing in the shower this morning because he was so excited to meet you. But then he got a fever… and couldn’t find his phone.”
Her voice cracked.
“Dad is sick… so we came instead.”
Ava added softly, “He kept saying you’d think he didn’t care… but he does.”
Something shifted inside Natalie.