"Jessica, Dad is really sorry for you. He wished he had known earlier… he regrets not being able to find you after she was buried."
Julian's voice cut through the fog in her mind, drawing her back from the swirl of thoughts. Only then did she realize a warm tear had slid down her cheek.
She quickly brushed it away with the back of her hand, lifting her eyes to meet his. Her gaze was calm on the surface, but there was a brittle edge beneath.
"Julian, you may never know… but she suffered. She was hurt, she was destroyed. Even at her lowest, she fought, she endured—and yet in the end…" Her voice wavered. "…he was unable to…"
Julian's eyes reddened, and his voice broke. "Jessica, there's no doubt it was painful. But I know…if Mom was given another chance…she would have made the same choice, over and over again."
Jessica stared at him for a brief moment in resignation. Knowing how stubborn her mother could be, Julian wasn't lying.
