Instead, I saw the unimaginable.

There, on the front porch, sitting curled up on the concrete steps, was Emily. Her knees hugged to her chest, her thin pajama sleeves dusted with frost. The temperature was barely 1.7°C—the kind of cold that numbed fingers to stone.

“Emily?” My voice cracked as I rushed forward.

She lifted her head slowly. Her lips were pale, trembling. “D-Daddy?”

I wrapped my coat around her, feeling her body trembling violently. “Why are you out here? Where’s Mom? Why didn’t you come inside?”