“And I would’ve answered, no matter how angry I was.”
His eyes filled.
“I wish I’d believed that.”
“So do I, sweetheart.”
I reached for his hand.
“I’m not shutting you out. I’m asking you to give me a reason to trust you again.”
“I want to do that.”
“Then keep showing up.”
Several months later, Julian and Maya came over for a family photograph.
He’d picked up extra shifts, paid down the hospital bills, and stopped relying on me for the girls’ everyday needs.
Emma and Chloe wore matching sweaters. Maya held Emma while I cradled Chloe.
Afterward, Julian noticed his old green coat hanging near the door.
He touched the stitching beside the pocket.
“You still remember fixing this?”
“Of course. You complained that my stitches were crooked.”
He smiled. “I wore it anyway.”
His expression softened.
“I should’ve come home sooner.”
