“You barely ate. “
“And I’m sorry. I didn’t think carefully. “
Ruby, feeling the tension, approached me. She wrapped her little arms around my legs.
I didn’t want you to be sad, Mom”, she said.
I dropped to my knees and pulled her into my arms. “Oh, baby. I’m not sad because of you. I’m sad because I didn’t see how much pain you were in. “
“And I’m sorry. “
“I want us all to be together”, she said. “As before. “
“Me too. “
Molly waited a moment, then said, “I can replace today’s session with a family consultation, if that’s okay with you. “
I hesitated, then looked at Dan.
He nodded.
So we stayed. We sat on the blue sofa.
We really talked.
“Me too. “
Molly guided the conversation, helping us unpack the things we had buried for months. Dan apologized again. He admitted that leaving me in the dark had been a mistake, and he took responsibility for the damage it had caused.
I admitted how distant I had become. I told him I missed him too.
Dan apologized again…
And in that moment, I realized something important. The enemy here wasn’t Molly or even the secret sessions. There was silence between us. The assumption was that protecting each other meant hiding things.
The belief that love alone would keep the house from falling apart, when in truth it needed maintenance and honest conversations.
Over the next week we made changes.
The enemy here wasn’t Molly or even the secret sessions
I asked my boss if I could move my weekend services. It wasn’t easy, but I arranged to return earlier in the week. I also gave up some administrative tasks. This meant less money, but a greater presence.
Dan, meanwhile, swore he had no more secrets.
Continued on the next page
