“Yes. Both of them.”
“Why?”
Chris’s voice broke.
“Because I thought about you every single day.”
Lily was silent for a moment.
Then she said,
“If you thought about us, you should have called.”
Those simple words hurt Chris more deeply than any accusation I could have made.
He lowered his head.
“You’re right.”
The next morning, the children wanted Chris to come to the ocean with us.
I wasn’t going to forgive him simply because he had returned.
But this was no longer a story about him and me.
It was Lily and Ben’s story.
On the beach, the children began building another sandcastle.
Chris sat down beside them.
A large wave came in and destroyed half of the castle.
Chris immediately began rebuilding it with his hands.
Ben laughed.
“Relax, Daddy. We can build it again.”
Lily looked at Chris.
“But this time, don’t run away.”
Chris froze.
Then he quietly said,
“I won’t.”
