Iris slowly sat down.
She looked exhausted.
Like she had aged years in minutes.
“Does Dad have any other children?”
Ryan shook his head.
“No.”
She looked at me.
“Did he know about me?”
I couldn’t lie anymore.
“Yes.”
Her lips parted.
“Then why wasn’t he here?”
I closed my eyes.
Because that answer was mine.
Not his.
“He tried.”
A tear rolled down my face.
“I stopped him.”
Iris looked away.
And that hurt more than if she had screamed.
Because anger means someone still wants to fight.
Silence means they don’t know what to do with the pain.
