Thirteen years later...
I was furious with Samantha for disclosing my affair with Pippa to our teenaged son, Josh. He confronted me at the apartment, visibly upset and armed with this newfound knowledge. The other boys left the room as our voices escalated. Despite my attempts to defuse the situation, his hurt quickly turned to anger.
The true tragedy lies in the fact that her desire to punish me also inflicted unnecessary pain on him. His disappointment had reverberations that, I suspect, persist to this day and encapsulate my deepest regret. There is no justification for actions that lead to a child's estrangement from their father.
Today, the anger has dissipated, leaving behind a lingering gap—an emptiness maintained, perhaps out of habit, and can sometimes feel insurmountable. Yet, with each rare "I love you" that passes between us, hope is reignited.
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NAVEL GAZING: excessive absorption in self-analysis or focus on a single issue
Non-Fiction-A Lie I decided to focus on family, choosing to believe and have faith that everything else would fall into place. I wasn't comfortable-or good-at lying to her. So, when Samantha surprised me one day by swallowing her pride and asking directly if a...
