Happy.” Derek looked down at his shoes.

“I made so many terrible mistakes, Robert.” And I corrected him, gently, but completely.

“Those weren’t mistakes, Derek.

Forgetting to turn off the lights is a mistake.

What you did to my daughter was a choice.

You made it new, every single morning, for months.” He didn’t argue, which surprised me.

“Will I ever get to see my son?” he asked.

“You’ll petition the family court,” I said, “and you’ll respect whatever Gaby decides is right for him.” He nodded slowly, and turned, and walked back down the driveway to an old bicycle, and I watched him go and felt — to my own genuine surprise — nothing at all.