On the fourth, he let me hold a stuffed bear beside him.
On the fifth, he laughed when I made a ridiculous sound.
I drove home afterward, parked in my garage and cried until my chest hurt.
Not because I believed I deserved forgiveness.
Because they had given me five minutes of trust I had done nothing to earn.
I paid child support through the court.
Laura refused the house I offered.
She refused the car.
She refused the private nanny.
She did allow me to cover the twins’ medical insurance because the court required it.
Eventually, she accepted help moving into a safer apartment.
But she chose it.
The lease was in her name.
Her bank account remained separate.
She returned to bookkeeping part-time.
She built her own life.
That mattered to her.
So I learned not to interfere.
Months passed.