Chapter 12 - Marcus Finds His Own Mistake
Marcus wanted Rachel to carry every ounce of blame.
Then therapy forced him to examine his own choices.
Rachel had lied.
Manipulated.
Blocked communication.
Misused his access.
But Marcus had stopped checking.
When Danielle supposedly stopped calling, he accepted Rachel’s
explanation because communication with his ex-wife had always been
uncomfortable.
When Ava quit activities, he believed Rachel’s summaries.
When Ava became quieter, he called it growing up.
He had outsourced attention.
That realization hurt.
He apologized to Danielle.
“I should have called you directly.”
“Yes,” she said.
No comforting lie.
Then he apologized to Ava.
“I should have noticed sooner.”
Ava hugged him.
“You noticed my plate.”
Marcus held her tightly.
Too late was not the same as never.
May you like
But he promised himself he would never again confuse providing for Ava
with knowing how she was actually living.
