you.”
“Late.”
“Yes.”
He accepted that without defense.
“I’m trying,” he said.
“I know.”
He looked toward Maya’s car, where the twins were buckling into booster seats. “Evan was the steady one. I was the one who left town and acted like birthdays could be replaced by texts. Then he married Claire, and I thought…” He shook his head. “I thought he didn’t need me.”
“People who look steady still need someone.”
Nathan nodded.
“I know that now.”
The investigation into Claire continued.
She attended required evaluations. She expressed remorse in carefully worded statements. She claimed she had suffered a panic episode and made an unforgivable mistake. Her attorney emphasized grief, stress, and lack of support.
Maya remained cautious.
The children’s therapist, Dr. Patel, submitted observations without drama but with devastating clarity.
Lily showed signs of excessive responsibility and fear of mistakes.
Owen showed separation anxiety and hypervigilance.
Both children
