He said, “Fine.”
But when she started packing her dance bag, he looked her dead in the eye and said, “Don’t bother coming back.”
Emma told him they had to stop pretending they were still together. Daniel accused her of abandoning him because he couldn’t walk.
And Emma, who had held it all in for two months, finally exploded.
That was the shouting we’d heard in the hallway.
I took a long breath. “You need help.”
He nodded.
“No. I don’t mean rehab.”
“I know.”
“You need to talk to someone about what you’ve been doing. To her. And to yourself.”
“I know.”
“And Emma is done.”
His face collapsed. “Mom—”
“No.”
It was one of the hardest words I’ve ever said to my child.
“You don’t get to use what happened to you to keep her.”
“But I love her.”
“Then let her go.”
