When he came home, he often mistook providing for participating. He knew that before she said it. Still, there was a difference between a marriage weakened by absence and one spouse inviting another person into the gap. "You could have told me you were done," he said.
"I wasn't sure I was done." "Then you should have told me you were close." Sofia began crying again. "I know."
"No. You know now."
The next morning, Miguel woke before dawn from offshore habit and sat alone at the kitchen island while the house remained dark. His coffee cooled untouched. At 5:40, he searched for family lawyers in Harris County, then closed the browser without calling anyone. At 5:52, he searched for therapists who worked with children exposed to parental infidelity and family conflict. That search he kept open.
By eight, Lucia appeared in pajamas and climbed onto the stool beside him. "Are you going back to work today?" she asked. "No."