Outside in the parking lot, Noah finally broke down. He cried for every missed concert, broken promise, and moment he spent waiting for a father who never showed up.
A few days later, Lila sent an apology, admitting she had believed Ethan because it was easier than facing the truth.
Soon after, Noah asked to remove Ethan as his primary emergency contact at school. For the first time, he stopped hoping his father would change.
That evening, he placed the old phone in my desk drawer and said, “I’m done carrying it.” And for the first time in years, he stopped looking toward the driveway for someone who had already chosen to leave
