I won’t come to the hospital unless Joanna asks.
Please tell her I am nearby.
Not outside. Not waiting in the hallway.
Nearby enough if she needs anything.
I will respect whatever she decides.
—L
Nearby.
My heart beat faster.
“How nearby?”
Robert hesitated.
“About twenty minutes.”
“He drove here?”
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“Last night.”
“And where is he?”
“A motel.”
I stared at the paper.
“He came immediately.”
“Yes.”
“But he stayed away.”
“You asked him to.”
I pressed my lips together.
That mattered too.
The old Logan—the frightened Logan—had fled from difficult emotions.
This Logan had driven toward them and stopped exactly where I asked him to stop.
Still, one responsible decision did not erase seven months.
I refused to confuse hope with trust.
Later that afternoon, Marisol visited.
She arrived carrying flowers, baby socks, soup, and enough opinions for three people.
She held Ethan with astonishing confidence.
