But I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream or create a scene. I simply packed my bags and left, as silently as the pain that had settled in my chest. I left behind the house, the memories and the man who had abandoned our family at its most fragile moment.
Days later, Gilbert came to find me. He promised to change, to be better, to make up for everything.
——
In truth, I wasn’t surprised at all that Gilbert left our son for Lucy. It had been this way for years. After five years of marriage, Lucy could summon him with just one phone call and he would run to her, no matter where he was or what he was doing. I had grown used to it, even though each time it chipped away at whatever was left of my hope for us.
This time, I didn’t want to chase after him or beg for answers. The pain was too fresh, too deep. After handling our son's funeral, I stood alone by his grave, staring at the earth that now held the child I had loved with all my heart. The silence of the cemetery was suffocating, but it gave me clarity. I had lost the most important part of my life and Gilbert hadn’t even been there.