But it was steady.
I began paying down my debts.
Several months later, I saved enough to rent a small apartment.
It wasn’t fancy.
There was barely enough furniture.
The kitchen was tiny.
And I had to watch every dollar I spent.
But it was mine.
More importantly, I began showing up for my children.
When I promised to take them somewhere, I went.
When Holly had a school event, I attended.
When Hayley wanted to talk about a book, I listened.
When Ryan needed help, I made time.
I stopped making promises I couldn’t keep.
And slowly, something began changing.
One Friday, Helena called.
“Ross, would you be able to take the children Sunday instead of Saturday?”
I’d planned to spend Sunday resting.
But I checked my schedule.
“Yes. Sunday works.”
There was a pause.
Then she said, “Ryan mentioned you haven’t canceled a visit in months.”
