My morning begins with waking up next to the curled-up figure of Evie, clutching a stuffed panda I once believed she’d stopped liking. With Maddy, her stuffed monkey gone, I think she decided to go back to this one. The soft, worn fabric of the panda is a comforting sight. Its once bright fur is now dulled by years of love and cuddles, but Evie holds it as if it were brand new.
I’m not sure, but I think she named him Snoozles. Last night, I heard her slowly fade into a slumber with the word "Daddy" on her lips. It’s been three days since she first interacted with Rhys—three days since I last heard from him. A part of me was waiting to receive an apology text from him that night, saying how it was wrong of him to be occupied on a phone call while his daughter, who he had met properly for t
