Alex didn’t ask where Wendy went or why she wasn’t around. They’d never really bonded, and in his world, she was just someone who had hovered on the edges. What mattered to him was that, one afternoon, Matthew picked him up and took him to a smaller house with scuffed floors, mismatched curtains, and a backyard full of possibility.
“Daddy, does this mean I can come over now?” he asked, eyes wide with hope.
Matthew smiled and pulled him close. “No, buddy. This means we live together now.”
And that was all Alex needed.
They spent their evenings building blanket forts, racing toy cars, and burning grilled cheese sandwiches together. There was laughter again, real laughter. The kind that echoed through every room and made the house feel like home.
Sometimes, the camera doesn’t lie.
Sometimes, it shows you what love isn’t.
And sometimes, it helps you find what love truly is.
