Chapter 25 - DAVID’S APOLOGY TO ME
David and I met for coffee when Leo was thirty.
No custody issue.
No lawyer.
No reconciliation possibility.
He was gray at the temples.
Still handsome.
Different.
“I want to say something without asking for anything.”
“Okay.”
“I knew enough.”
I waited.
“That’s what I kept avoiding for years. I did not know Mom forged your signature. I did not know every BrightPath invoice. But I knew Leo’s restricted money was being used as a temporary bridge.”
“Yes.”
“I knew you would refuse.”
“Yes.”
“I let myself believe replacement made it harmless.”
“Yes.”
“I also cared more about avoiding conflict with Mom than protecting your consent.”
“Yes.”
His eyes filled.
“I’m sorry.”
“I believe you.”
He looked relieved and sad.
“Do you hate me?”
“No.”
“Do you forgive me?”
“I don’t think about our relationship that way anymore.”
He nodded.
“Fair.”
We finished coffee.
Left separately.
No romance.
May you like
No alternate ending.
Some marriages end because love is not enough to survive what trust learns.
