I approached Elijah slowly, each step weighed down with uncertainty. My chest tightened, and I had to swallow hard before I found the courage to speak.

“I’m sorry, Elijah,” I murmured, my eyes lowering for a moment before I dared to meet his gaze. “Marga was just longing to have a father.”

He looked at me quietly, as though my words had unlocked something tender inside him. His lips curved into a faint smile, the kind that wasn’t forced but carried an ache behind it.

“Then why ...