Preston had never before considered that losing a deal might leave him with an afternoon he would remember more clearly than any closing celebration.

He watched Theo help Eli retrieve a car from a crack in the pavement and thought about how much mattered in the spaces between big decisions.

PART 12: The Truth the Boys Could Understand

Naomi and Preston agreed to tell the boys about their relationship in a series of conversations rather than one overwhelming speech.

A family therapist helped them choose simple, honest language suitable for four-year-olds.

They sat at Naomi’s kitchen table on a rainy Saturday.