The moment I heard his voice, my heart raced. It wasn’t just attraction; it was something much deeper, something I couldn’t control. “Emma, you’re amazing. Seriously. This whole dinner setup? Perfect,” Daniel said, smiling at me from across the table. He must love me—he must!
I love Daniel. Yes, I said it. I love him.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” I replied, brushing it off as if it were no big deal, while inside, my heart was doing flips. My daughter, Lily, beamed beside him, her hand resting lightly on his arm. “Mom’s the best. Always has been.”
“Well, she really outdid herself tonight,” he said, locking eyes with me for a brief moment before turning back to his plate. I could have sworn his gaze lingered just a second too long.
I excused myself to the kitchen, needing a moment to breathe. My hands trembled as I gripped the counter. This couldn’t be happening. I’m her mother, and he’s her husband. What kind of person even entertains these thoughts?
“Emma?” His voice startled me. I turned to find Daniel standing in the doorway. “Everything okay?”
“Oh, yes. Just… checking on the dessert,” I stammered.
“You’ve been incredible today. Really,” he said, stepping closer. “I don’t know how you manage it all.”
“It’s nothing,” I said, forcing a laugh. “Just years of practice.”
He took another step closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “You’re remarkable, Emma. You should know that.” For a moment, the air between us crackled with tension, but then I heard Lily’s laughter from the dining room, breaking the spell. “I should get back to them,” I said quickly, brushing past him.
The days that followed were torture. Every time Daniel and Lily visited, I felt drawn to him like a moth to a flame. It wasn’t just his looks—though he was undeniably handsome—it was how he listened and seemed to genuinely care about what I had to say. Then there were the stolen glances and brief touches that lingered just a moment too long.
One afternoon, while Lily was out running errands, Daniel found me alone in the living room. “Emma,” he said, his expression serious. “Can we talk?”
My stomach churned. “Sure. What about?”
He hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know how to say this without it sounding… wrong. But I feel something when I’m around you. Something I can’t ignore.”
I froze. “Daniel, stop. This isn’t right.”
“I know it’s not,” he said, his voice cracking. “But it’s the truth. I care about Lily, of course I do. But there’s something about you, Emma. You make me feel alive in a way I haven’t in years.”
“This can’t happen,” I whispered, though my resolve was weakening. “We’d hurt her. Destroy her.”
“I know,” he said, stepping closer. “But what if we’re meant to be? What if we’re throwing away something real because of what people might think?”
Tears welled in my eyes. “Don’t say that. Please.”
Before I could stop him, he reached out and brushed a tear from my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. “Daniel, please,” I begged, stepping back. “You have to go. Now.”
He looked pained but nodded. “I’ll go. But this isn’t over, Emma. I can’t just turn off these feelings.”
Weeks passed, and I tried to bury my emotions, pretending nothing had happened. But it was impossible. Each time I saw him, the pull grew stronger.
One evening, after Lily had gone to bed, Daniel and I ended up alone on the patio. The cool night air did nothing to cool the heat between us.
“Emma,” he said softly. “I can’t keep pretending everything’s normal when it’s not.”
“Daniel, we have to think about Lily,” I said, my voice trembling. “She loves you. She trusts me. We can’t betray her.”
“And what about us?” he asked, searching my eyes. “Don’t we deserve to be happy too?”
“Not at my daughter’s expense,” I replied firmly, though my heart was breaking.
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone,” he admitted. “Not even Lily.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wanted to deny it, to tell him he was wrong, but deep down, I felt the same way.
“Daniel, please don’t make this harder than it already is,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face.
He reached for my hand. “Just tell me you don’t feel the same, and I’ll walk away. I won’t bring it up again.” I opened my mouth to deny it, to say I felt nothing, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, a sob escaped my lips.
“I can’t,” I admitted. “I do feel the same. But that doesn’t mean we can act on it.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The only sound was the rustling leaves in the wind.
“I love you, Emma,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “And I don’t know how to stop.”
I pulled my hand away, standing abruptly. “You have to try. For Lily. For all of us.”
He nodded, though the pain in his eyes was evident. “I’ll try. But I can’t promise it’ll work.”
The fallout came unexpectedly. I was in the kitchen when my daughter burst in, tears streaming down her face. “Mom! How could you?” she screamed, her voice cracking with betrayal.
My heart stopped. “Lily, what are you talking about?”
“I saw the texts,” she said, holding up her phone. “Between you and Daniel. How long has this been going on?”
“Lily, it’s not what you think,” I stammered, my voice trembling. “Nothing happened.”
“Don’t lie to me, Mom!” she shouted. “How could you do this to me? To us?”
Before I could respond, Daniel walked in, his face pale. “Lily, listen to me. It’s not true. Your mom and I… we didn’t do anything.”
“Don’t you dare try to gaslight me,” she snapped, her voice icy. “I saw the way you two looked at each other. I read what you wrote.”
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