Chapter 32 - The Weekend Handoff
Friday afternoon brought a different kind of anxiety.
It was Alex’s weekend.
Since the accident, Alex had fundamentally changed. The man who used to prioritize late nights at the office, golf trips, and endless excuses had been entirely broken by the realization that he had almost lost us.
He was a good father now. Present. Attentive. Desperate to make up for the years he spent looking the other way.
But he was no longer my partner. The disaster had burned away my capacity to wait for someone to choose me.
A silver sedan pulled into the driveway. Alex stepped out, looking tired but eager, holding a small pink gift bag.
Clara bounded out the front door. "Daddy!"
Alex caught her, spinning her in a circle. "Look at you, kindergarten graduate of week one! How was it?"
Mark and I stood on the porch. Alex looked up, offering a polite, slightly strained smile.
"Hey, Mark. Hey," Alex said, walking up the steps.
"She’s got her favorite blanket in her overnight bag," I said, handing it over. "And she’s allergic to that new brand of sunscreen you bought last time. I packed the safe one."
"Got it," Alex nodded, taking the bag. He looked at me, a fleeting shadow of profound regret crossing his eyes, as it always did when he saw Mark standing beside me.
"Have a good weekend, Alex," Mark said, his tone perfectly cordial. There was no territorial posturing with Mark. He knew exactly where he stood.
May you like
"You too," Alex replied.
As they drove away, I felt that familiar, sharp pang of guilt and relief. The family was fractured, but it was finally functioning.
