“There is more.”
He crouched beside Sophie.
“Do you want me to read it?”
She nodded.
His voice shook.
“Sophie is the best thing we’ve ever done. I didn’t know you could love somebody this much when you’ve only known them for four days.”
Sophie stayed still.
Mr. Harris continued.
“I keep looking at her and thinking I wish my little brother could meet her.”
He couldn’t continue.
He didn’t need to.
Sophie looked at the photograph, then climbed into my lap.
I wrapped my arms around her.
After a while, she whispered, “Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Are you sad?”
“I am.”
“Because I wanted their picture?”
The question caught me off guard.
“No.”
She looked away.
“I didn’t tell you I took it because I thought maybe you’d think I wanted a different mommy.”
Everything I’d been holding together broke.
“Oh, Sophie.”
“I don’t.”
She said it quickly.
“I don’t want a different one.”
I pulled her closer.
“You never have to choose.”
She began crying quietly.
“I like hearing about her.”
“I know.”
“And him.”
“I know.”
“But I love you and Dad.”
My husband knelt beside us.
“We know.”
I kissed her hair.
“You can miss people you don’t remember. You can love them. You can ask about them every day if you want to. None of that takes anything away from us.”
She looked at me.
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