For three months, I had stayed away from Karen because I believed it was the only way to protect Daniel.
Now he was telling me that perhaps protecting him did not mean abandoning her.
It meant allowing all of us to grow up.
I grabbed my keys.
The Second Chapter
The bookstore was supposed to close at nine.
I arrived at 8:54.
Through the front window, I saw Karen behind the counter, arranging a stack of books.
She looked up.
For a moment, she simply stared at me.
Then she walked to the door and unlocked it.
“Alex?”
“Hi.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Shopping.”
She glanced at the clock.
“We’re closed in six minutes.”
“I’ve always been terrible with deadlines.”
She stepped aside.
I entered.
The store smelled of paper, wood, and freshly brewed coffee. Warm lamps illuminated the reading tables, and a small display near the entrance featured books by local authors.
Behind the counter stood a framed photograph of Karen on opening day.
She looked happier in that picture than I had ever seen her.
I pointed at it.
“You look proud.”
“I am.”
“You should be.”
She looked at me.
For a moment, neither of us knew what to say.
Then she folded her arms.
“Daniel?”
“He came to see me.”
Her expression softened.
“How is he?”
“Confused. Trying. Still convinced that threatening me is a healthy communication strategy.”
She laughed.
“That sounds like my son.”
I stepped toward the counter.
“He told me to come see you.”
Karen’s smile faded.
“He did?”
“More or less.”
She looked down at her hands.
“I never wanted him to feel that he had to choose between us.”
“He knows that now.”
“I hope so.”
I watched her for a moment.
Then I said the thing I had rehearsed during the entire drive.
“I missed you.”
Her eyes filled.
“I missed you too.”
“I tried to convince myself that staying away was enough.”
“And?”
“It wasn’t.”
She gave a small, sad laugh.
“No. It wasn’t.”
I moved closer.
“Karen, I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep. I can’t guarantee that every day will be easy. I can’t promise people won’t talk. And I can’t promise Daniel will never struggle with this.”
