As I watched them sitting together yet separate, I wondered where the closeness had gone. There is a particular kind of heartbreak in realizing your children no longer know how to be siblings the way they once did. My husband and I did our best to raise them in a home where affection was natural and support was constant. We helped without controlling, encouraged without insisting. So why does it feel like something essential slipped through our fingers while we were busy doing our best?
The moment everything cracked
When they finally left, we accompanied them to the door. The hugs were quick, affectionate but rushed. As their cars disappeared down the driveway, a strange quiet settled inside the house. I turned toward my husband and saw his expression collapse. His eyes glistened. A man who had always carried so much on his shoulders suddenly looked like someone who had misplaced his purpose. It hurt to see him like that. It hurt because I recognized the same ache inside myself.