His Knees, His Pleas, But Our Son's in Peace

Chapter

6

I had told him so many times about Oliver's illness, but he never cared. Every time Oliver needed his dad during chemo, Nathan was with Sienna. Even the camping trip, he only agreed to after I got on my knees and begged him. I did everything I could to make him see how little time Oliver had left, but he refused to believe it. Nathan's voice softened, a tinge of regret creeping in. "If only you could've made me believe..." "Made you believe?" I asked, my voice trembling with frustration. "What more could I have done?" Nathan fell silent.

I thought of Oliver, in pain, begging me to call his dad. I remembered how, even then, Nathan stayed silent when Oliver pleaded, "Daddy, can you just stay with me for a little while?" Now, finally, Nathan showed a flicker of regret. "I thought after your mum died, you got a taste for manipulating me. I thought you used Oliver's illness to trick me into coming home." In his eyes, all I ever did was beg and deceive.

When my mum was dying, she noticed how often Nathan was gone,

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His Knees, His Pleas. But Our Son's in Peare

Chapter 6

come back and be with me. Over time, he grew tired of it. From that point on,

now, he couldn't

"Oliver was fine before."

hit me harder.

long has it been since you

he

him, "Two years and four months. That's how long

since you've

way to argue with that. His face

sank in.

of guilt appeared in his eyes. He reached out, trying

back,

he really think an apology could fix everything? Our son, Oliver, was gone forever.

Oliver could hear you now, I don't