Chapter 12 - DANIEL’S APOLOGYDaniel apologized for the slap before he apologized for the doubt.
That order told me something.
“I should never have touched you.”
Correct.
“I saw red.”
Not useful.
He corrected himself.
“I chose to hit you.”
Better.
“I am sorry.”
I believed he regretted it.
That did not repair the marriage.
Then:
“I should have taken the chain off Sophie.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know why I didn’t.”
“I do.”
He looked at me.
“Your mother’s anger mattered more to you than our daughter’s fear.”
His eyes filled.
“That’s not fair.”
“Then give me a better explanation.”
He couldn’t.
Finally:
“I was still trying to decide whose version was right.”
I almost stood up and left the mediated session.
“She was physically chained to a post, Daniel.”
“I know.”
“There was no version to decide.”
He covered his face.
That was the central failure.
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Daniel had been raised to treat Margaret’s interpretation as evidence equal to what his own eyes saw.
That habit had finally reached a point where a chain around his daughter still required context.
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