Chapter 10 - Marcus Had To Tell Elsie He Had Failed Her Too
Marcus apologized to Elsie in her therapist’s office.
Not at home.
Not while she was tired.
Not immediately after asking her to recount something painful.
The therapist asked him to be specific.
Marcus looked at his daughter.
“I believed Vivian too quickly.”
Elsie stared at her shoes.
“I told you.”
“I know.”
“You said I remembered wrong.”
“I know.”
“You said she was trying.”
“I know.”
Elsie’s eyes filled.
“Why didn’t you believe me?”
There was no safe answer.
So Marcus gave her the real one.
“Because I wanted the house to be okay.”
She frowned.
“What?”
“I wanted you and Vivian to get along. I wanted the wedding. I wanted everything to feel like a family. Sometimes when you told me things that threatened that, I accepted easier explanations instead of checking.”
“You wanted her more?”
“No.”
“But you believed her.”
“Yes.”
That hurt.
Marcus let it.
“I was wrong.”
Elsie asked:
“If I cry, does that mean I’m lying?”
“No.”
“If I remember something a little different?”
“No.”
“If an adult says I’m wrong?”
“No.”
Then Marcus added:
“It means we check.”
That became their new rule.
Not blind belief.
Not blind doubt.
Check.
Listen first.
Verify what can be verified.
May you like
Never use tears as evidence against the person crying.
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