Chapter 5: Learning to Feel Safe

Lily didn't sleep through the night for months.
Every loud sound sent her running to Nathan's room.
He never complained.

Sometimes they sat on the porch until sunrise.
One evening she asked,
"Daddy... did I do something wrong?"
Nathan knelt beside her.
"No."
"Then why did Mommy hate me?"
He took a long breath.
"Sometimes adults make terrible choices."
"But none of them were your fault."
She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I missed you."
May you like
"I'll spend the rest of my life making up for every day I was away."
That promise became his new mission.