“Come on,” she said.

“You’ll miss it if you stand there thinking forever.”

He followed her inside.

There were chairs for June and May in the family row, and a photograph of Thomas and Elena on a small table beside them.

Vincent sat just behind them, where Sophie had asked him to sit.

When her name was called, he stood and applauded, not to claim her as his daughter, not to erase the man whose life his company had failed to protect, and not to earn anyone’s forgiveness.

He applauded because Sophie Bell had looked at the world and asked for kindness even when she had every reason to expect disappointment.