Something about that explanation never completely made sense.
Still, he was a gentle husband and a wonderful father.
I convinced myself that loving him meant respecting the subject he clearly did not want to discuss.
So I stopped asking.
That afternoon at the park, Molly ran toward the playground.
A few minutes later, she slipped beside a muddy puddle and landed directly in it.
Water and mud soaked her dress.
“Daddy!”
Brad rushed over.
“My dress is wet.”
He lifted her immediately.
“Emergency situation.”
Without hesitation, he removed his button-down shirt and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Underneath, Brad wore only a short-sleeved T-shirt.
Both of his tattooed arms were completely visible.
The second he realized it, his body stiffened.
His fingers actually caught the edge of his sleeve as though he could somehow pull it farther down.
Then Molly shivered.
Brad stopped worrying about himself and picked her up.
