That night, I followed Amelia to the attic. To my surprise, it wasn’t a storage space—it was a magical room, decorated with pastel colors, books, and fairy lights. Amelia explained, “I wanted it to be a surprise for Sophie.”I asked her why she had been so strict with Sophie. She admitted, “I grew up with a strict mother. I thought I was helping, but Sophie needs love, not perfection.”
The next evening, Amelia apologized to Sophie and showed her the room. Sophie’s face lit up with joy, and she hugged Amelia, saying, “Thank you, new mommy. I love it.”That night, as I tucked Sophie in, she whispered, “New mom’s not scary. She’s nice.” The weight of doubt lifted from my heart. We were finally on the path to becoming a family.