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I turned to Ryan, whose fists were clenched at his sides, and whose whole body was shaking.
I immediately softened.
“Baby,” I whispered.
His chest rose and fell rapidly. Then he looked at his father, the man he had idolized for most of his life.
And his voice, broken and raw, cut through the silence.
An angry young man | Source: Midjourney
"You are dead to me."
I turned to Sophie's mother.
"I suggest you throw him out," I said simply. "Because from now on? He's your problem."
Then I turned back to Thomas, meeting his panicked gaze.
An angry woman | Source: Midjourney
“I’m going to file for divorce. And you’d better return my grandfather’s ring. I thought you were special enough to use it. But you’re just a pathetic man. I hope this child will be more forgiving because your son is done with you. Just like me.”
He opened his mouth, maybe to beg, maybe to lie. I laughed at him.
Because I was already drifting away.
To my surprise, Sophie followed Ryan and me to the car.
A ring in a ring box | Source: Midjourney
“Please,” she said. “Let me come for a few hours while they figure this out… when they argue, it can get noisy.”
“Come on, darling,” I said. “I still have dessert waiting for me.”
She smiled sadly and got into the car.
When we arrived home, the three of us sat in silence.
A woman sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
The house felt heavier than before, as if the weight of truth had settled in the walls, pressing down on us.
Ryan sat on the couch, looking lost and confused. Sophie sat next to him. She looked like she was hidden in her own world.
They didn't touch each other. They didn't even look at each other.
“I'll bring dessert,” I said. “I know no one has an appetite. But my mom always told me to eat something sweet when you're upset. It helps keep the nerves at bay. So, chocolate cake and ice cream?”
A chocolate cake on a counter | Source: Midjourney
“Mom,” Ryan sighed, looking at me.
My son looked at me for a moment before slowly nodding his head.
“Okay, this is dessert.”
I cut into the cake, imagining I was releasing my frustration. Then I divided the ice cream into bowls.
When I came back, the children were still in the same places.
A slice of cake and a bowl of ice cream | Source: Midjourney
I sat across from them in the chair, just watching.
The night had been long. Too long. And now, finally, we were simply sitting. The anger had burned away, leaving only exhaustion and the smoldering remains of what had been.
Ryan exhaled sharply, breaking the silence.
"I guess you're wondering why I never showed you a picture of him."
A distraught young man holding his head | Source: Midjourney
Sophie didn't answer right away. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor, waiting.
Ryan let out a dry laugh, shaking his head.
“I was never close to him,” he admitted. “Not really. He was there, of course. But he was always working, he was always traveling, he was always… somewhere else. I stopped expecting anything from him a long time ago.”
He paused, taking his slice of cake.
Food on a coffee table | Source: Midjourney
"I guess that's why it never crossed my mind to show you a picture. He was just... a name, not a presence."
Sophie nodded slowly, as if she understood the feeling all too well.
“I was never sure about him either. I knew my mother was happy. Happier than she had been in a long time. But that wasn't enough for me. Because it wasn't him.”
