But then something unexpected happened. One night, as Daniel passed by the nursery, he heard Amara whisper to the twins:
Don’t worry, little ones. You’re stronger than anyone thinks. You have secrets that even your father doesn’t understand.”
Daniel froze outside the door. Secrets? What does she mean?
The next day, he noticed she was avoiding questions about her past. Every time he asked her where she learned those lullabies or how she knew so much about traumatized children, she changed the subject.
He began to wonder: Who exactly is Amara? And why do I feel like she knows more about my family than I do?
Daniel couldn’t get Amara’s whispered words out of his mind: “You have secrets that even your father doesn’t understand yet.”
What could she possibly know?
That night, after the twins had fallen asleep in Amara’s care, Daniel approached her in the quiet kitchen.
“I heard what you told them last night,” he began cautiously. “What did you mean by secrets I don’t understand?”
Amara looked up slowly, her face impassive. “It’s not my place to say yet.”
“Still?” Daniel’s voice sharpened. “Amara, you can’t say something like that and expect me to ignore it. If you know something about my children, I have a right to know.”
She put down the bottle she was washing. “I need you to trust me a little more. The twins are still fragile. They’re just starting to sleep through the night, to feel secure. If I tell you now, it could… upset them.”
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