“A noisy house,” he used to joke. “A table that’s always full.”
And that’s exactly what we built — six children in ten years: Mark, Jason, Caleb, Grant, Sarah, and Eliza. Four boys and two girls, enough energy and noise to shake the walls.
Then one day, their father decided the chaos was too much. He met another woman online, overseas. Within months he packed a suitcase and left, claiming he needed to “find himself.”
That evening, I cooked all my children’s favorite dishes. I used my best plates, ironed cloth napkins, and carefully set the table because I wanted the night to feel meaningful.
At 4 PM, I peeked through the blinds, hoping to see a car in the driveway.
