She Saw Me as Her Dad for Ten Years, Until One Message Changed Everything

She stopped calling me Daddy. Not because her feelings changed — but because she was trying to keep everyone calm. It hurt in a way I never said out loud, but I didn’t push her. I just kept showing up like always.

And then her text came.

When we got home that night, she went straight to her room. Zahra asked what happened, but all I could say was, “She wanted to come home.”

This morning, over pancakes, Amira finally told us why.

Jamal introduced her to a girlfriend she’d never heard of. The couple spent the entire time kissing, like they were in some cheesy movie. Then they had a loud argument that shook the walls. The girlfriend even called Amira by the wrong name — twice.

That was enough for her.

Later that day, while we were working on her school project, she asked me, “Why didn’t you ever leave?”

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