Chapter 25 - DANIEL FINALLY ADMITS IT
Daniel and I met once after the divorce was nearly final.
Mediator’s office.
Paperwork.
At the end, he said:
“Was I really that bad?”
The question was so human it almost hurt.
I answered:
“You were good at many things.”
He looked away.
“That’s not an answer.”
“You loved Ava.”
“I still do.”
“I know.”
“You think I destroyed her.”
“No.”
That surprised him.
“I think you scared her into needing your version of reality.”
He rubbed his face.
“I was trying to keep her safe.”
“At first.”
Silence.
Then:
“When did it change?”
I had thought about that.
“When Elise got safer and you kept acting like nothing had changed.”
Daniel cried.
Quietly.
“I didn’t know how to trust her.”
“You didn’t have to trust her completely.”
“What did I have to do?”
“Let Ava learn for herself, with safeguards.”
He nodded.
Then:
“And you?”
“What?”
“I didn’t trust you either.”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you leave sooner?”
I almost laughed.
Instead:
“Because I was protecting you.”
His face changed.
“From what?”
“From Ava learning everything at once.”
“And?”
“Myself from losing her.”
There.
My truth.
Daniel nodded.
No reunion.
May you like
No embrace.
Just two adults finally naming the selfish parts inside protective stories.
