Chapter 23 - My own apology
I owed Noah one too.
The Facebook still.
I had already apologized quickly.
Two years later, when he was ten, I apologized again with more understanding.
“I took part of your birthday video and used it because I wanted people to believe me.”
He said:
“But it showed the truth.”
“Yes.”
“So why bad?”
“Because it was also your birthday.”
He thought.
“Kids at school saw?”
“Some.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged.
Then:
“Can you send me the whole video?”
“Why?”
“Dad never got the birthday song.”
Of all things.
Daniel had preserved a clean family copy after legal retention needs were handled.
The birthday song occurred forty minutes before the assault.
Noah wanted that part.
We made a new clip.
Children singing badly.
Cake intact.
Rachel smiling.
Me not yet there.
No crime footage.
May you like
That became his birthday video.
Better.
