“Lauren,” he said, “I owe you an apology too.”
I stopped stacking plates.
“For what?”
“For putting you in that position on Halloween. You were trying to protect your boys, and I made it difficult.”
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
He looked toward the backyard.
“I thought Michael and his brother had forgotten all that candy business.”
“They hadn’t.”
“No,” he said. “I can see that now.”
I didn’t tell him everything was forgiven and forgotten.
It wasn’t.
But I appreciated that he was finally willing to listen.
Through the window, I watched Michael kneel beside the twins as they demonstrated how the airplane’s wings moved.
Richard followed my gaze.
“I don’t want them to grow up feeling about me the way Michael did,” he said.
“Then keep showing them they matter more than what they can give you.”
He nodded.
“I will.”
That night, after the boys went to bed, Michael found the chocolate Ethan had given Richard sitting on the kitchen counter.
