“Mom,” he asked, “is Dad bad?”
She sat beside him.
“He made bad choices.”
“But is he bad?”
She considered her answer carefully.
“He is your father. You are allowed to love him. You are also allowed to be hurt by him.”
Ethan traced the tiny deck with one finger.
“Do you love him?”
Olivia answered with the truth her son could carry.
“I loved who I thought he was.”
Ethan nodded slowly.
“I miss that dad.”
“So do I.”
They remained there until the bathroom light flickered overhead and Ethan leaned against her shoulder.
Three months later, the divorce hearing took place in downtown San Diego.
Andrew arrived thinner, grayer, and wearing a suit that no longer seemed to belong to him.
Serena was absent.
According to Marcus, she had settled another business dispute quietly and relocated to Phoenix. According to Lydia, she was cooperating enough to protect herself and not enough to save Andrew.
