She did not have to apologize for crying.
She did not have to apologize for being frightened.
And she would never again be asked to protect an adult’s comfort by pretending her own fear had not happened.
Claire had asked me to take care of Emma.
For a long time, I thought that promise meant making sure my daughter never felt the absence her mother left behind.
I know better now.
I cannot spare Emma every painful moment.
I can make sure she knows where safety is when one comes.
That night, after she fell asleep, her white jacket was draped over the back of a kitchen chair.
I left it there.
For once, nobody needed to hold it.
