“Don’t say that because you’re afraid I’m leaving.”
He looked at me.
“Think about whether you actually mean it.”
Then he left.
The next morning, he called.
“Can I see Emma?”
“Come at ten.”
When he arrived, I handed him her bottle.
“I’m going out.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“Where?”
“Coffee.”
“For how long?”
“Two hours.”
He looked at Emma.
Then nodded.
“Okay.”
When I returned, she was asleep.
Ryan was washing bottles.
He turned off the water.
“I’ve been thinking.”
I put my keys down.
“I treated your exhaustion like it belonged only to you.”
I waited.
“That was wrong.”
“Yes.”
“I deleted every picture I had.”
I nodded.
“And I told Glen and Max to delete theirs.”
“Good.”
He looked hopeful.
“But that doesn’t fix everything.”
“I know.”
And for once, he didn’t argue.
Over the following week, Ryan came by regularly to spend time with Emma.
