I accepted her apology without pretending that it repaired everything.
Then I picked up my watering can.
Rachel returned to her car and drove away.
I watched until she turned the corner.
I did not feel victorious.
I felt relieved that I had finally said what I needed to say without shouting, begging, or trying to prove that I was better than her.
The truth was enough.
A month later, Tyler and I met at a quiet café to discuss the arrangements for telling our extended family about the separation.
We had already spoken with the children together once, answering their questions as honestly as we could without placing them in the middle of our disagreements.
It had been one of the hardest conversations of my life.
Olivia cried. Ethan became angry. Tyler apologized to them both.
Neither child promised to forgive him immediately.
I did not ask them to.
