Chapter 35 - Learning to Play AgainBack at the coastal house, life slowly began to bloom.
Mark spent every single day with his children. He taught Owen how to ride a bicycle on the wooden boardwalk, running alongside him and catching him every time he wobbled. He sat at a small wooden table with Lily, painting watercolor landscapes and listening to her talk about her favorite books.
One afternoon, Mark noticed Lily sitting by the garden fence, watching a group of neighborhood children playing tag.
"Do you want to go play with them, Lily?" Mark asked gently, walking up behind her.
She looked down at her hands. "What if... what if I get dirty?"
Mark smiled. He walked over to a flowerbed, scooped up a handful of damp soil, and rubbed a small smudge right onto his own cheek.
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Lily gasped, her eyes wide with shock.
"It's okay to get dirty," Mark said, laughing. "That's what soap and water are for."
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