A Ring in a Ring Box | Source: Midjourney
A ring in a ring box | Source: Midjourney
"Please," she said. "Let me come for a few hours while they find a solution..." When they argue, it can get noisy. »
"Come, my dear," I said. "I still have dessert waiting for me."
She smiled sadly and got into the car.
When we arrived home, the three of us sat in silence.
A woman sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
A woman sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
The house seemed heavier than before, as if the weight of truth had settled in the walls, weighing on us.
Ryan was sitting on the couch, looking lost and confused. Sophie was sitting next to him. She seemed to be hidden in her own world.
They didn't touch each other. They didn't even look at each other.
"I'll bring dessert," I said. "I know that no one has an appetite. But my mom always told me to eat something sweet when you're upset. It helps to keep the nerves at bay. So, a chocolate cake and ice cream? »
A chocolate cake on a counter | Source: Midjourney
A chocolate cake on a counter | Source: Midjourney
"Mom," Ryan sighed as he looked at me.
My son looked at me for a moment before slowly nodding.
"Okay, that's dessert."
I cut into the cake, imagining that I was releasing my frustration. Then I divided ice cream into bowls.
When I came back, the children were still in the same seats.
A slice of cake and a bowl of ice cream | Source: Midjourney
A slice of cake and a bowl of ice cream | Source: Midjourney
I sat across from them in the chair, just watching.
It had been a long night. Too long. And now, finally, we were just sitting. The anger had burned, leaving only exhaustion and the smoldering remnants of what had been.
Ryan exhaled abruptly, breaking the silence.
"I guess you're wondering why I never showed you a picture of him."
A distraught young man holding his head | Source: Midjourney
A distraught young man holding his head | Source: Midjourney
Sophie didn't answer right away. She kept her eyes glued to the floor, waiting.
Ryan let out a dry laugh, shaking his head.
"I've never been close to him," he admitted. "Not really. He was there, of course. But he was still working, he was still travelling, he was always... elsewhere. I stopped expecting anything from him a long time ago. »
He paused, taking his piece of cake.
Food on a Coffee Table | Source: Midjourney
Food on a Coffee Table | Source: Midjourney
"I guess that's why it never crossed my mind to show you a picture. He was just... A name, not a presence. »
Sophie nodded slowly, as if she understood the feeling all too well.
"I was never sure about him either. I knew my mother was happy. Happier than she had been in a long time. But that wasn't enough for me. Because it wasn't him. »
Ryan didn't ask who she was talking about. He already knew it.
