“Then you should have come.”

There was a long silence before Tristan said, “You’re right.”

Later I spoke with Dr.

Keene about the visit.

She reminded me that children didn’t need adults who never made mistakes.

They needed adults who understood that trust was repaired by repeated, dependable actions.

Tristan responded by asking for smaller, more realistic commitments.

Instead of promising every school event, he began scheduling short video calls around confirmed availability.