He ignored her. “You’re throwing away your own blood for another man’s abandoned child.”

I turned away from the glass, making sure Lily couldn’t read the fury on my face. “Her biological father vanished before she could speak in full sentences.

He sends a generic text on her birthday if his calendar reminds him. Blood didn’t sit awake with her when she had a fever of a hundred and three. Blood didn’t check her closet for monsters.

And blood was definitely not standing at the altar yesterday when she asked for a dad.”

The line went unnervingly still. He had no counterargument, and I knew that terrified him more than my anger did.

“You and Mom can ask to meet us when we’re back in Atlanta,” I said, delivering my terms. “You’ll apologize to Mia. To her face. You’ll apologize to Lily in words a child understands.