Chapter 10 - THE WOMAN WHO FORGOT HOW TO TRUST
My ex-husband's name was Daniel Mercer.
We had been married for eleven years.
Our divorce had been finalized eighteen months earlier.
Daniel was charming.
Successful.
And remarkably good at making promises he had no intention of keeping.
He promised Lucy he'd attend her school play.
He missed it.
He promised a weekend trip.
He canceled.
He promised to call every Sunday.
Some Sundays he forgot.
I had spent months making excuses.
Daddy's busy.
Daddy's working.
Daddy loves you.
The last part was probably true.
But love without reliability had become a wound my daughter carried quietly.
Cal noticed.
One evening, Lucy refused dinner again.
She pushed her plate away.
Cal didn't scold her.
He sat beside her.
“Want to tell me what's wrong?”
She shook her head.
He waited.
Finally, she whispered:
“Daddy said he'd come today.”
Cal nodded.
“And he didn't?”
She shook her head.
Tears slid down her cheeks.
Cal looked at me.
I nodded slightly.
He turned back to Lucy.
“That's hard.”
She sniffled.
“He always says sorry.”
Cal was quiet.
Then said:
“Sometimes sorry needs help from doing better.”
Lucy looked up.
“What if he never does?”
Cal swallowed.
“Then it still isn't your fault.”
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I had to leave the room.
Because I couldn't stop crying.
