She had chosen who would replace her.
And he had made sure I never knew I had a choice.
***
For a long time, no one moved.
I looked at Mom’s line.
I knew you, Aaron. I knew that if I left those babies in your arms, you’d never let them go.
Emma’s voice broke.
“Dad?”
I carefully folded the letter.
Grace was crying openly now.
Sophie seemed terrified.
“There were people who would have taken us,” she whispered.
“You could have gone to Chicago,” Emma added.
Suddenly he stood up.
His chair squeaked hard on the ground.
“You lost your whole life because of us.”
The look.
“No.”
“But you could have had everything.”
“What exactly is ‘everything’?”
Silence.
I took my keys.
“Come.”
Grace wiped her face.
“Where are we going?”
“I need you three to see something.”
***
The old apartment was smaller than I remembered.
I pointed to the window above.
