It was an ordinary choice. That was why I’d missed it so much.
At ten, Daniel called. I let it ring a few times and answered. He said things had been tense, then asked me to come get the kids for the afternoon. they’d committed to the retreat and were stuck without me. His first question after I’d left was still whether I could make their schedule work.
“No,” I said.
He was silent. I could hear him draw breath to argue, and I ended the call. I’d explained the
