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The sunlight poured into the room like a quiet memory, but Sophia remained still on the couch, staring blankly at the walls that were once hers.
Everything felt unfamiliar—yet oddly warm.
Adrian brought her tea, his eyes searching her face for any flicker of recognition. "You used to drink it this way," he said gently, "no sugar, lots of milk."
She gave a polite nod, taking the cup but not the memory.
A soft patter of footsteps followed.
"Mommy?" Ethan stood there, holding a photo album almost too big for his little arms. "Can I show you something?"
Sophia hesitated, but something in his round eyes pulled her in. "Sure."
He climbed beside her and opened the album. "This is us. This is when we went to the beach. You built a sandcastle with me. And… here—this is you and Daddy dancing in the kitchen. You said he dances like a robot."
Adrian chuckled softly. "Still true."
Sophia stared at the photos, at her own smile frozen in time. "I look happy," she whispered.
"You were," Adrian said quietly.
Ethan flipped to a page with a drawing. "I made this in school. That's you. See? I even wrote 'My mommy is my hero.'"
Sophia's throat tightened. "Why?"
"Because you used to sing me to sleep. And you always made my bad dreams go away."
Silence. Then Ethan asked gently, "Can I sing the song you used to sing?"
Sophia nodded.
Ethan sang softly—his little voice trembled on the high notes, but it was full of love.
Sophia blinked rapidly as something stirred in her chest. A flicker. A warmth. A feeling.
She didn't remember the words. But her heart did.
Adrian watched from the kitchen doorway, his hands trembling slightly as he realized—this wasn't the end.
It was the beginning of a new journey.