Chapter 7 - The Choice
Six months passed. The permanent custody hearing was looming.
I was sitting in my living room when the phone rang. It was Daniel. His voice sounded hollow.
"Lauren left," he said. "She packed her things and moved back to her parents' place in Florida. I’m alone, Mom."
"I see," I said, my heart feeling a strange mix of sadness and relief.
"I’m changing, Mom," he said. "I’m in therapy. I’m taking the classes. I want to be a father again."
"A father is not something you 'want to be' again, Daniel," I said. "A father is something you are every day. You don't get to press 'reset' because your life got hard. Noah deserves a man, not a man who comes and goes when it's convenient."
"Can I come over?" he pleaded.
May you like
I looked at Noah, who was playing with his blocks in the other room.
"You can come over for dinner on Saturday," I said. "But you will be on your best behavior. And you will not bring any excuses with you."
