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We decided right then to start again. Carefully, slowly. We brought in a family counselor. Lily joined the sessions too. Over the following months, things got better. Not perfect, but better.
Jake still visits, though not every weekend. He and Lily talk sometimes now. They’ve even played a few video games together. The photo box? We gave it back to him—but this time, we added new photos. One of all of us at the lake. One from Lily’s last birthday. One of Jake and Tom fixing the fence in the backyard.
Jake keeps it on his bookshelf now. Not hidden.
Looking back, I wish I’d listened more and assumed less. But I also know I did what I thought was right at the time.
Sometimes parenting means making hard calls with incomplete information. But it also means owning your mistakes—and doing everything you can to make things right.
Jake forgave me. That’s more than I could’ve hoped for.
And now, we move forward—together.
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