“Your second son doesn’t need a dad like you. Neither does Danny. Today was the last time you’d ever set foot in this house again.”
A smiling little boy | Source: Midjourney
For days after, Jacob harassed me with calls and texts, begging for an explanation, for forgiveness, for anything really.
“I’m living with my cousin because Jessie cut off all contact with me.
My mother doesn’t even want to talk to me, Sutton. She said that I ruined the lives of two innocent children and she’ll never forgive me. She’s embarrassed by me.”
“But that’s exactly what you did, Jacob,” I said.
“You did ruin two boys and their mothers, too.”
An upset man | Source: Midjourney
But do you know what was even better? As the months rolled by, I watched with satisfaction and a sense of melancholy as Jacob’s life fell apart.
His job suffered because he just wasn’t settled at all. His social circle seemed to dwindle, and he seemed to be a shadow of his former self.
I was doing well.
But then an interaction with Danny made me question if I was too harsh.
A pensive woman | Source: Midjourney
“Mom, why doesn’t Dad come home anymore?” Danny asked one night as I tucked him into bed.
I knew this moment would come, and now that it was here, I didn’t know what to say.
I sighed, stroking his hair gently.
“Dad had to go away for a while, sweetheart. But I’m here.”
He looked up at me with those big, innocent eyes.
A little boy in his bed | Source: Midjourney
“Do you still love him?” he asked.
How do you explain the truth to a child, that the person they look up to has broken your family?
“I love you, Danny,” I said, evading the question. “And that’s all that matters.”
