“I need you to leave.”
I didn’t have space in my head for her apology yet.
I put the papers on the table. My hands were steady.
“I need you to leave,” I said to my husband.
His chin trembled. “Where am I supposed to go?”
He sobbed.
I laughed once, sharp.
“That’s what I had to figure out at 17,” I said. “I’m sure you’ll manage.”
“Don’t do this,” he said. “We have a life. A child. Please.”
“I had a right to know who I was choosing. You lied on day one. Everything after grew out of that lie.”
I went to our bedroom and pulled out a suitcase.
That time, I wasn’t a scared teenager.
My mom was silent, tears on her face.
I packed for myself and our son. Clothes. Important papers. His favorite stuffed dinosaur.
“You let me choose you over my parents,” I said to my husband, “without giving me all the facts.”
He flinched. “I didn’t let you—”
“Yes,” I snapped. “You did. You took away my choice.”
My mom’s voice softened. “We were wrong, too. For cutting you off. For not reaching out. We thought we were protecting you, but we were protecting our image. I’m sorry.”
