I sat again.
Daniel remained standing.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
This time, I wanted the real answer.
Not the easy one.
He sat opposite me.
“For a long time, I thought telling you would make you feel second.”
I almost laughed.
“Instead, you let your brothers literally call me that.”
He winced.
“I know how insane that sounds now.”
“It sounded insane twenty years ago too. I just didn’t have the information.”
He nodded.
Then said:
“There was another reason.”
I waited.
“I felt guilty.”
“For what?”
“Surviving.”
His voice became quieter.
“Moving on.”
I stared at him.
“After Joanna died, I couldn’t imagine loving anyone again.”
He looked toward the blank television screen.
“Then years passed.”
His eyes returned to me.
“And I met you.”
I said nothing.
“I fell in love with you.”
His voice broke.
“And instead of feeling only happy, part of me felt ashamed.”
