My father froze. He looked at the tiny human who’d usurped his control over his son. Mia stepped up behind Lily, resting a protective hand on her small shoulder.

“Yes,” Robert rasped, his voice sounding dragged over gravel. “I am.”

Lily studied him with open, unapologetic curiosity. “I’m Lily. I lost my tooth.” She pulled her lip back to proudly display the cavernous gap.

My mother broke down, pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle a sob.

Lily looked alarmed and took a half-step back. “Did you lose a tooth too?”

Mia let out a startled, involuntary laugh, and the unbearable tension fractured just a little. Even my father’s jaw twitched—the closest he ever came to a smile.