My husband took my stepdaughter to Christmas with his ex and told me I wasn’t her real mother—so I chose myself, walked away, and rebuilt a life they never saw coming.

“I am the person who has loved you every day,” Mariana said. “I may not have the first page of your story, but I have been in almost every chapter since.”

Camila thought about that. “Can a kid have two moms?”

Mariana’s throat tightened. “A kid can have as many people loving her as her heart can hold.”

“Then continue reading …