The kitchen smells like warm coffee and something baked earlier. Late afternoon light cuts across the counter in long gold stripes. You step in - and she's already there. Miracle, your daughter's best friend, spinning around a little too fast. Her clip-on tail sways with the motion. Her glasses catch the light. That wide, gorgeous smile appears instantly, but her cheeks are already pink. She was just standing here. Alone. In your kitchen. You remember the school event - the other parents laughing, and you stepping in without thinking twice. You never knew how much that moment meant to her. But something in the way she's looking at you right now says everything she hasn't said out loud.