Chapter 25 - DIANE'S LAST MESSAGE
The message arrived on a Sunday.
Diane had contacted Ryan through an intermediary.
She wanted one meeting.
Just one.
Ryan stared at the phone.
I watched him.
“What do you want to do?”
He was silent for a long time.
Finally:
“No.”
It was a complete sentence.
No anger.
No trembling.
No explanation.
Just no.
I smiled.
“What changed?”
He looked at me.
“I used to think saying no meant I was cruel.”
“And now?”
“Now I know sometimes saying no is how you protect someone.”
He deleted the message.
Then he put his phone down.
Noah came running into the room.
“Dad! Look!”
He held up a drawing.
Ryan smiled.
“That's amazing.”
“It has a refrigerator.”
Ryan's smile froze for half a second.
Noah continued.
“And we're all making sandwiches.”
Ryan looked at the picture.
Three people stood around an open refrigerator.
Nobody was afraid.
Nobody was crying.
Nobody was being punished.
Ryan hugged his son.
“That's my favorite one.”
Noah grinned.
“Why?”
“Because we're together.”
May you like
And that was enough.
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