Months later, Mark asked to meet for coffee. He told me the affair was over and admitted that secrecy and guilt had been most of what he and Jenna shared.
“I destroyed everything,” he whispered.
“You damaged a lot,” I replied.
He wanted me to help him reconnect with Daniel, but I refused. For 31 years, I’d tried to keep our family together by smoothing over uncomfortable truths. I wasn’t going to do that anymore.
When he asked whether I hated him, I thought carefully.
“No. I hate what you did. But hating you every day would keep you too involved in my life.”
Daniel took longer to heal. He worked, attended therapy, and eventually found a small apartment of his own.
Almost a year after the wedding, he came over for dinner.
