Six weeks ago, my daughter asked if I’d cry when she went to the ocean with her “other mom.” That was the moment the truth stopped whispering… and finally screamed.

We were driving home from preschool. Tess had kicked off her shoes, a half-eaten fruit snack stuck to her leggings, staring out the window like she was reading secrets in the clouds. Sunlight poured in through the glass in soft golden streaks.