Chapter 10 - EARNING THE LIGHT
I opened the door to find Claire standing in the hallway, holding a toddler in her arms. Noah. He was walking now, looking around with bright, curious eyes.
I froze, terrified to move, terrified to breathe.
"He's been asking about 'Dada'," Claire said quietly, her voice lacking the icy edge it once held. "Therapist says it's time he knows who you are."
"Claire..." I choked, dropping to my knees so I was eye-level with my son. "Hi, Noah. I'm... I'm your dad."
Noah stared at me, then offered me a slightly mashed cracker from his fist. I took it, sobbing uncontrollably, pressing my forehead against his little shoes.
Claire stepped into the apartment. It was small, modest, but spotlessly clean. She noticed the stack of parenting books on the table, the AA chips from the support groups I had joined to deal with my ego and destructive behaviors, the framed picture of Noah I kept by my bed.
"You've changed, David," she observed softly.
"I had to," I said, wiping my face and standing up. "I lost the only things that ever mattered. I won't ask for forgiveness, Claire. I know what I broke can never be fixed. But I promise you, I will spend the rest of my life being a father he can rely on."
May you like
Claire looked at me for a long time. The anger was gone from her eyes, replaced by a cautious, tentative hope. "We'll start with supervised visits. Saturdays at the park. We'll see how it goes."
It was the greatest victory of my life.
