His voice was quiet.
“My address never changed.”
Elena turned.
He looked directly at her.
“The house phone number stayed the same until eight years ago.”
Silence.
“When we disconnected it, I sent you my cell number.”
Elena’s face tightened.
“I didn’t get it.”
“I sent it certified.”
Julian looked at her.
“You told me they moved.”
Nobody spoke.
Elena turned toward him.
“They did later.”
“No.”
Their father shook his head.
“We stayed in that house eleven more years.”
Julian stared at Elena.
She suddenly looked less certain.
“I was told you didn’t want me contacting them.”
“By who?”
Elena hesitated.
Her former husband waited.
“Who told you?”
Nobody answered.
Chloe looked at Julian.
He seemed genuinely confused.
“I was told you refused to let her see them.”
Chloe’s father exhaled slowly.
“I never stopped her.”
He looked at Elena.
“Not once.”
“You made me feel unwelcome.”
“I was angry.”
His voice stayed calm.
“You left six children.”
One of Chloe’s sisters began crying.
“You left Maya in diapers.”
Elena looked at her.
“I was unhappy.”
Their father nodded.
“You had the right to leave me.”
The room went still.
“You did not lose the right to leave the marriage.”
He paused.
“But leaving me and leaving them were two different decisions.”
Elena’s face crumpled.
“I didn’t know how to come back.”
“You could have knocked.”
He said it so quietly that somehow it hurt more.
