Amelia took my hand.
“I came because Dad is my dad.”
Then she looked at Ryan.
“But I didn’t come here to say what he did was okay.”
Ryan’s eyes filled with tears.
The room remained completely silent.
And then my daughter turned around and walked toward the exit.
I followed her.
Nobody stopped us.
For illustrative purposes only
In the car, Amelia placed the wedding candle carefully on her lap.
After several minutes, she looked at me.
“Mom?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“Are you sad?”
I swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Are you still sad about the baby?”
I nodded.
“Sometimes.”
She reached across the center console and took my hand.
“Me too.”
Neither of us spoke for a while.
Then she whispered:
“I think the baby is still part of our family.”
I squeezed her hand.
“Always.”
When we got home, her younger siblings ran toward her.
They wanted to know everything.
