Two years after my wife’s death, I got married again, hoping to start a new life with a new family. However, I was shocked when my five-year-old daughter quietly said one day: “Dad, a new mom is completely different when you’re gone.” This raised questions in my head that I couldn’t find the answer to. After losing Sarah, I thought I would never be able to love again. For a long time, I felt an emptiness that overshadowed everything around me. However, Amelia’s patience and bright gaze began to fill my heart with hope.
I decided to get married again, hoping to create a happy family for myself and Sofia.
It was important not only for me, but also for Sofia to accept Amelia. Considering that the last two years had been a real test for us, I was surprised how quickly Sofia fell in love with Amelia. When we met in the park, Sofia didn’t want to get off the swing and said: “Five more minutes, Dad.” Then Amelia came over and said something that immediately changed her mood: “If you swing higher, you can touch the clouds.” Sofia’s eyes lit up and she asked in disbelief: “Really?” Amelia replied: “Yes, that’s what I thought when I was your age.” And she suggested: “Do you want me to push you?” It all felt so natural that when Amelia suggested moving into the house she had inherited, I felt that it was the right move. High ceilings, elegant wooden details, coziness – this house was going to become our real home. When Sofia saw her new room, I saw happiness on her face and couldn’t help but smile.
“This is the room of a real princess!” she exclaimed, spinning around the room. “Can I paint the walls purple?” she asked. “You have to ask Amelia, it’s her house,” I replied. “It’s our home now,” Amelia said, taking my hand. “And purple is a great idea, let’s choose the color together.” Then I had to go away on business for a week and I was worried about leaving my loved ones. Amelia tried to calm me down, saying, “Everything will be fine, we’ll spend time with Sofia like girls.” I leaned over and kissed Sofia on the forehead, and she added that she would miss me. Everything seemed fine, but when I came back, Sofia hugged me tightly.
Her little body was shaking as she said, “Dad, new mommy isn’t like this when you’re gone.” These words made me feel uneasy. I asked, “What do you mean?” Sofia told me that Amelia can be strict and makes her clean her room, doesn’t give her sweets, even when she behaves well. Sofia started crying in my arms, and this made me think. Even before I left, I noticed that Amelia often spent time in the attic, but I didn’t pay much attention to it, considering it to be just housework. But now everything was different.
That night haunted me. Lying in bed next to Amelia, I wondered if I had made a mistake by letting someone into our lives who could harm my child. I remembered that I had promised Sarah that I would protect Sofia, giving her the love she needed. I waited a moment until Amelia secretly got out of bed, and I followed her. She opened the door to the attic and entered, and I watched her from the staircase. When the lock clicked, I immediately hurried upstairs.
When I opened the door and saw what was happening there, my eyes widened in surprise. The attic had been created a real space for Sofia: a cozy place with pillows, shelves of books, drawing materials, and twinkling lights on the ceiling. It was beautiful. Amelia, seeing me, froze. “I wanted to finish everything before I showed you this,” she said with embarrassment. “I wanted it to be a surprise for Sofia.”
I felt an inner uneasiness, although the room looked wonderful. “Amelia, it’s wonderful, but Sofia said you were too strict, you forced her to clean, you didn’t give her sweets.” Amelia lowered her shoulders and quietly replied, “I thought I was teaching her independence.”
“I’m not trying to be a perfect mother. I just want to be close. I didn’t give sweets because I think it would be bad for her health,” she said. The next evening, when Sofia and I came back to the attic room, Amelia apologized for her strictness and promised that everything would be different now. Sofia happily accepted the changes and thanked Amelia, and I felt that our family happiness was safe again.
