The room went quiet for a moment.
“And then you betrayed me,” Mark said in a dangerously soft tone. “We were going to have a family, and you ruined it.”
“I was trying to stop her from making another stupid decision.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
“If helping Claire leave means I betrayed you, then yes. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Mark turned toward Evan.
“Where is she? Your mother kept you from me. She needs to answer for that.”
“She’s dead,” Evan replied.
Mark stopped. He seemed to take a moment to process the news, then he nodded.
“Okay… but I’m still your father. You’re still my son.”
“And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Evan looked at him for a long moment.
“No… I think I’ve heard everything I needed to hear tonight.”
“You can’t say that. I’m your blood. Don’t I deserve a chance?”
Mark stepped toward him.
Daniel moved between them.
“You wouldn’t dare…” Mark snarled.
“You can’t say that. I’m your blood. Don’t I deserve a chance?”
“You need to give the boy space.”
“You need to stop interfering in my life! God, you don’t get to judge me, Daniel.”
Daniel sighed.
“I do,” he said softly. “Man to man, what you did to Claire was wrong. It was abuse, and I should have judged you to your face nineteen years ago.”
“You wouldn’t dare…”
Mark went silent.
“Instead, I spent almost twenty years pretending that keeping my distance from you was the same as standing against you.” He shook his head. “It wasn’t.”
Daniel walked to the front door and opened it.
“But I’m telling you now. Our friendship is over.”
Mark’s jaw dropped.
“But I’m telling you now. Our friendship is over.”
“Daniel.”
“You’re not welcome in my home anymore.”
Mark looked toward Evan.
“What about him? That’s my kid. You kept us apart once, and now you’re doing it again.”
Daniel looked at Evan.
Evan stepped closer. He looked Mark in the eye and shook his head. “I have a dad — my stepfather. I don’t think I want a relationship with you, not after what you did to my mom.”
“You’re not welcome in my home anymore.”
Mark looked like he wanted to argue.
“You heard the boy,” Daniel said. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Mark.”
Mark walked out without another word.
Daniel closed the door and leaned against it.
Finally, Evan wiped his face.
“My mom trusted you. And now I understand why.”
“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Mark.”
Daniel covered his mouth.
Then he bent forward with one hand against the wall while the tears came.
Maya walked over and hugged him.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
She nodded against his shoulder.
“You were a jerk when we came in.”
“I’m sorry,”
A broken laugh escaped him.
Evan wiped his cheek.
“Was it the eyeliner?”
Daniel laughed again, harder this time.
“No.”
“Good. It took me twenty minutes.”
A broken laugh escaped him.
Maya rolled her eyes.
I stood there watching them, and something inside me finally unclenched.
Daniel couldn’t change the years he’d spent avoiding the truth. But tonight, he’d finally stopped avoiding it.
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