When Sophie finally pulled away, she wiped her eyes and smiled.
“Can I ask one more thing?”
“Anything.”
“Can we have pizza for dinner?”
Emma laughed.
“After that conversation?”
“Emotional discussions make me hungry.”
Emma shook her head, smiling.
“Pizza it is.”
And as Sophie went to find the takeaway menu, Emma realized that a painful conversation had ended in something wonderfully ordinary.
They were still mother and daughter.
Still themselves.
The truth had not changed that.
The Eighteenth Birthday That Meant More Than Anyone Expected
Sophie's eighteenth birthday arrived on a Saturday.
Emma had spent days preparing.
She ordered the cherry cake Sophie had requested, decorated the living room, and invited a small group of friends and neighbors.
Marta, Emma's closest friend, arrived early to help.
Marta had known Emma for many years.
She had witnessed difficult moments, celebrated small achievements, and become one of the dependable people Sophie could always turn to.
