I froze.

Lucien's chair scraped back. His expression emptied like his mind couldn't decide what to reject first, the sound or the sight.

The tiny girl bounced into the dining room clutching a tin of heart-shaped cookies, curls shiny black and eyes golden like Lucien's.

She ran straight to him, smiling wide. "Daddy!"

The word made my stomach dip.

Lucien's mouth parted, but no sound came out. He crouched on reflex. "What did you call me?"

The child beamed up at him, completely at ease. ...