I remarried two years after my wife’s death in an attempt to start a new family. However, I was taken aback when my 5-year-old daughter muttered, “Daddy, new mom is different when you’re gone.” Strict regulations, Sophie’s dread, and strange noises coming from a sealed attic all combine to create a terrifying mystery that I can’t ignore.

After losing Sarah, I never imagined that I would find love again. For months, the way grief emptied my chest made breathing seem like a choice.

However, Amelia’s kind patience and bright smiles made the world seem lighter when she entered my life.

Not only for me, but also for Sophie. Given how difficult the previous two years had been, it felt miraculous that my five-year-old daughter took to her right away.

My daughter had been reluctant to leave the swing set when Sophie first saw Amelia at the park.

With her tiny legs pumping harder and harder, she had begged, “Just five more minutes, Daddy.”

“You know, I bet you could touch the clouds if you went just a little bit higher,” Amelia said as she approached, her sundress gleaming in the late afternoon sunshine. That was the moment that everything changed.