The girls never knew until years later.
He packed lunches with food he sometimes skipped himself.
He never remarried.
Not because nobody wanted him.
Because life was already full.
“He never said you were a bad mother,” Chloe told Elena.Track Pregnancy
Elena looked at him.
“That was almost worse.”
Chloe nodded.
“I know.”
“He made excuses for you.”
She picked up the journal again.
“When you missed my tenth birthday, he told me your flight had been canceled.”
Her voice cracked.
“There was no flight.”
Elena looked down.
“When Maya asked why you didn’t come to her kindergarten graduation, he said you were sick.”
Maya wiped tears from her cheeks.
“You weren’t sick.”
Elena whispered:
“No.”
“He protected us from the truth.”
Chloe closed the journal.
“And apparently he protected you from us knowing it.”
Their father finally spoke.
“They were children.”
He looked at Elena.
“They didn’t need my anger.”
