I gave him a few facts: the early arrival, the weeks of monitoring, the endless feeding schedules.

He asked about each child’s health without making the conversation into a confession about himself.

When I mentioned that Liam had needed extra respiratory support, Tristan closed his eyes.

“I should have been there.”

“Yes,” I said.

There was no pleasure in saying it.

I simply refused to make his regrets smaller so he could carry them comfortably.

PART 15