And it took my son’s camera to show me, all at once, what she had actually been, and how much better off my family would be without her in it.

Chapter 12 — Your Skin Is Beautiful

The first thing David did, once the door had slammed and the house was quiet, was cross the room to Maya.

He pulled our daughter up out of her chair and wrapped her in a fierce, protective hug, the kind of hug that says everything a father cannot quite put into words.

“Your skin is beautiful, sweetheart,” he whispered into her hair.

“It always has been.