“I still need to say it sometimes.”
“That’s okay.”
After a moment he asked:
“Did you ever hate me?”
“Yes.”
“For long?”
“Not as long as you probably deserved.”
He almost smiled.
“Why?”
“Four babies.”
He laughed.
“I was exhausted.”
“I did not have enough energy for permanent hatred.”
“Lucky me.”
“Do not make that about you.”
“Fair.”
Inside, we heard Noah arguing with Lucas about something meaningless.
Miles was laughing.
Ethan told both of them to stop yelling.
Some things never change.
Adrian looked toward the windows.
“I’m glad you came that Christmas.”
“So am I.”
For years, Adrian had believed silence supported his version of the past.
I had made assumptions too.
I assumed every document reached him.
I assumed every cold legal response reflected his exact words.
I assumed his parents knew everything.
Some assumptions were true.
Some were not.
Christmas forced all of us to stop living on assumptions.
