Page 98 of Saving Sophia

“No.” She shrugged. “I’m trying to be brave, not crazy.”

We both laughed.

“You are brave, my sweet Sophie.”

“You gave that to me,” she whispered.

“No.” I pulled the chair closer to hers and took her hands in mine. “I only gave you permission to see it.” I stroked her small wrists with my thumbs. I wanted her to feel her own strength. I wanted to let it harden and become a part of her. I wanted her to know she could stand on her own, so when she chose to crawl up into my lap it was because she wanted to, not because she had no other choice.

“I’m proud of you, baby girl.”

A faint smile flitted across her lips. “I’m proud of myself.”

In that moment, I couldn’t admire her more.

I pointed to the white box on my desk. “Bring that to me.”

I didn’t take it when she held it out to me. Instead, I patted my lap and held my arms open for her. She came to me hesitantly, perching on my knees. I pulled her in and tucked her up against my chest, loving the weight of her as she relaxed into me. “Open it.”

She lifted off the lid, tucked it carefully beneath the box, and pulled back the tissue paper. “Is that …” She trailed off as she lifted the glass from the packaging.

“Mrs. Helmsley’s unicorn,” I finished for her, stroking the side of her cheek.

“You fixed her?” She examined the broken unicorn from her nightstand, back in one piece. “How?”

I kissed the top of her head and rested my hand against the curve of her hip. “Called in a favor or two. Do you like it?”

She looked up at me, her eyelashes damp, her fingers tracing the seams where the unicorn had broken.

“She was special to you,” I said, not sure why worry was lurking in the shadows of her eyes.

“She was … is.” She bit the correction off as her tongue got away from her. “But I need … I want to say …” She huffed out a sigh and tried again. “This skirt has pockets.”

Okay.

I wasn’t expecting that.

Her gaze locked onto mine as she reached into one of those pockets, pulled out her pacifier and slid it into her mouth.

Understanding me lit up. I held her close to my chest. She relaxed against me as she sucked experimentally, her breath slowing into a steady rhythm. “I’m here when you’re ready,” I murmured into her hair.

She was still and warm in my arms, and I soaked her in like sunshine. The sweet berry scent of her filled my nose. She was the best thing to happen when I wasn’t expecting it, the most wonderful coincidence, the piece of my heart that made me whole.

I thought she drifted off to sleep, but she stirred, sitting up and turning to face me. She put the unicorn carefully back in its box and slid the pacifier out of her mouth.

“I know what I saw.” Her voice was quiet but firm. No stutter or hesitation. “I’m not crazy. I’m not a disgruntled employee. I saw him kill that man.” She shifted, straddling me, her knees against my hips in the chair. “I understand why Hayden doesn’t believe me.”

“Hayden is?—”

She shook her head. “I want to tell the truth … whether it helps the investigation or not.” She paused. “But, at the end of it all, it’s you that I care about. I need you to believe me.”

She held the pacifier up, considering it. “I didn’t discover this part of myself until I met you. It’s like a piece of my puzzle has always been missing, and you popped it into place. All of a sudden, I make sense.” She tucked the pacifier back into her pocket and leaned toward me. “And I love it, but … I need you to believe in me too.”

I cupped her face in my hands, barely stroking the peach-soft skin of her cheeks. “I do.”

Her lip wobbled, but I didn’t let her go.

“Do you think that pacifier means I don’t take you seriously?” I asked.

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