“I cannot tell you what was inside his head,” I said.

“I can tell you his leaving was his responsibility.

You do not have to make yourselves smaller to explain it.”

<strong>PART 5</strong>

Brian’s first text arrived at 11:26 that night.

It was addressed to the number he’d last used to send me a curt message about the last unpaid support installment.

I had never deleted that thread, though the messages were separated by years.

I read all the letters.