You don’t have to pretend a person was never there just because they made a hurtful choice.” Chloe considered that and drew two leaves at the edge of the paper.

She colored them gray but didn’t put names inside.

“Maybe later,” she said.

I wanted to tell her she never had to put my parents anywhere in her life again.

But that decision, as she grew, would belong partly to her.

Dr.

Lewis had warned against making a child responsible for an adult’s punishment or redemption.

We could set boundaries to protect her without demanding she hold our anger forever.