My Daughter Took My Hand After School and Said, “Mom, Divorce Dad — He Doesn’t Love Us.” That Night, Over One Chicken Leg, I Finally Listened

My four-year-old.

I was across the room in an instant, on my knees, catching her small hands in mine and pulling them away and gathering her up against me.

“No,” I said into her hair, holding her hands still, holding all of her still.

“No, my love.

You don’t have to give anything back.

You didn’t do anything wrong.

Do you hear me?

Don’t you ever, ever apologize again for being hungry.”