I was relieved, but I didn’t offer the basement again.
One afternoon, Daniel called and asked if he could visit.
He arrived alone.
We sat in the kitchen, where he used to do his homework while Paul cooked dinner.
“I’ve been thinking about Dad.”
“What about him?”
“About how hard he worked. I always figured the house would be mine eventually.”
“I understand.”
“But I started acting like it already was.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I was embarrassed that I couldn’t give Brittany what she wanted. And instead of being honest, I made you responsible for fixing it.”
That was the first apology he’d given me that didn’t contain an excuse.
“I want to be someone Olivia can depend on,” he continued.
“Then start by keeping your promises about things that actually belong to you.”
He gave a sad little smile.
“That’s fair.”
When he left, he asked before taking a container of leftovers from my refrigerator.
