“How can you defend her, Peter? After knowing what she did?”
“She came to help us, Alicia,” he said. “She didn’t have to come over at all, but she did it because she cares about you and Emily.
And now, thanks to you, she feels like she’s not welcome here anymore.”
“Are you serious? You’re more worried about her feelings than about what she did?”
“I’m just saying you could’ve handled it better,” he said. “She already feels stupid enough about the whole thing.
Don’t be surprised if she never offers to help again.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but the words stuck in my throat. What was the point? He wasn’t going to see it my way.
He never did when it came to Melissa. “Fine,” I said quietly, turning away from him. Peter sighed again and sat down with Emily, gently rocking her in his arms.
I watched him for a moment, feeling the distance between us grow. That night, as I lay in bed, I couldn’t stop replaying our argument in my head. Maybe I could’ve handled things differently.
Maybe I shouldn’t have told Melissa to leave. But every time I pictured Melissa laughing on the phone after leaving my daughter inside, my resolve hardened. I wasn’t sure if I’d done the right thing or burned a bridge I’d one day regret.
All I knew was that my daughter deserved better. Was I wrong?
