Sophie’s ninth birthday was meant to be perfect. She was a gentle, kind-hearted child who filled our home with drawings, laughter, and thoughtful little notes she tucked under my pillow. When I remarried, I worried about blending families, but my husband James embraced Sophie completely.
He helped with homework, told bedtime stories, and celebrated every milestone with pride. The day she first called him “Dad,” I knew we had built a real family. So when Sophie asked for a beautiful homemade birthday cake “bigger than her head,” I poured love into every step of baking and decorating it, determined to make her day unforgettable.
On the morning of her party, our home buzzed with excitement.
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