up. She was so excited.”
I closed my eyes.
“I remember.”
He swallowed.
“I told her I’d be there.”
A tear rolled down his face.
“I meant it when I said it.”
I turned toward him.
“I know.”
He looked surprised.
I continued.
“Dominic, I don’t believe you wanted Sophie to be hurt. I know you loved her.”
His face crumpled.
“But you forgot,” I said softly. “And the fact that you didn’t intend the consequences doesn’t erase the choice you made.”
He nodded.
“I know.”
For a long time, he cried quietly.
I didn’t reach for him.
Not because I wanted to punish him.
But because I finally understood that his grief was his to carry, just as mine was mine.
Eventually, he wiped his face.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“Are you happy in Toronto?”
