One Goodbye Is Enough

I froze for a moment before instinctively getting up and walking outside.

That was when I saw Henry reaching out to gently fix Evelyn’s hair.

Not far away, my son stood at the elevator.

His backpack was slung over his tiny shoulders as he stared blankly at his father tenderly caring for a woman he had never met before.

Henry’s gentleness and patience.

My son and I had never seen it before.

I was about to take him away when Henry finally noticed him.

His body stiffened briefly, and he quickly withdrew his hand.

However, in the next moment, he straightened up and continued walking past our son, shielding Evelyn with quiet determination.

It was as though he did not even know the little boy standing there.

A sharp pain stabbed through my heart. I quickly took my son's hand and led him back to my desk.

Before I could say anything, his eyes turned red, and he asked in a soft voice, “Mommy, is that the person Uncle likes?”

At that moment, I lost all ability to speak. I could only nod, tears brimming in my eyes.

My son did not ask anything else. He silently pulled out his workbook and started writing.

However, his tears still fell, soaking into the pages.

I held him close. He was my whole world.

Henry, you had two chances left before my son and I walked away forever.

…

After packing up, I took my son home.

While we were on our way home, he suddenly asked, “Mommy, can Uncle Parker come to the meeting tonight?”

In our seven years of marriage, Henry had never attended a single one of his son’s school meetings.

I could not bear to say no when I looked into his hopeful eyes. I sent Henry a message.

[Our son has a school meeting tonight. Do you have time?]

As expected, there was no response.

My son lowered his head, clutching his backpack.

“He doesn’t want to come, does he?”

He forced a smile as though he was trying to convince himself. “It’s okay. Uncle Parker is busy. I understand.”

My heart felt like it was being crushed under a heavy weight when I heard those words.

Just as I was about to speak, my phone chimed.

It was Henry.

[I’m free. I’ll be there.]

Shock and joy surged through me. I immediately turned my screen to my son.

“Lyle, look! Daddy said he’s coming!”

He was stunned for a moment, but then his face lit up with pure excitement.

Seven years. This was the first time Henry had agreed to come to something with us.

With that promise, my son was happy for the entire trip home.

He told me how many times his teacher had praised him, how many awards he had won, and how he had scored high marks on his tests.

With bright eyes, he told me, “Mommy, I was elected class monitor this semester! The teacher said they’ll announce it at the meeting tonight!”

He hesitated and asked, “Mommy… If Daddy sees how well I’m doing in school, do you think he’ll like me more?”

I was startled for a moment before my heart started to ache even more. I prayed silently, hoping that Henry would not break his promise just this once.

I just wanted my son’s wish to come true before we left, even if it was nothing more than our own self-deception.

The clock ticked on, minute after minute.

The meeting was about to start.

Henry never showed up.

However, Evelyn did update her social media.

Henry was sitting beside an unfamiliar little boy, patiently guiding him as they built a Lego set together in the photo.

Her caption read: [Future #1 Dad!]

I turned toward the living room.

My seven-year-old son sat quietly on the couch, playing with his own Lego set.

The same toys. The same age. The same need for love.

However, his father was never here with him.

Sensing my gaze, my son looked up at me. His little hands tightened around his Lego pieces as he spoke cautiously.