Chapter 9

Daniel told me the truth.

After we ended the pregnancy, he became afraid of responsibility.

Marriage frightened him.

Fatherhood frightened him.

Failure frightened him.

So he ran.

At first, he ran into laziness.

Then excuses.

Then other women.

Every time another woman made him feel wanted, he forgot for a few hours that he hated himself.

But when he came home, the guilt returned.

He said he never cheated because I wasn’t beautiful enough.

Or successful enough.

Or loving enough.

He cheated because he was broken.

I listened.

Then I said,

“That’s an explanation.”

He looked at me.

“It isn’t an excuse.”

“I know.”

“You hurt me.”

“I know.”

“You made me believe I wasn’t enough.”

His voice broke.

“You were always more than enough.”

I turned away.

Because that sentence was exactly what I had wanted to hear for years.

But hearing it now hurt more than I expected.