I ARRIVED AT MY BEACH HOUSE EXPECTING PEACE-YILUX

misunderstand.

He stepped back slightly, giving me space, maybe for the first time in a long time, not out of distance, but out of respect.

“I’ll go,” he said, and there was no argument now, no hesitation, just acceptance of something he couldn’t fix in one conversation.

I nodded once, watching him turn toward the door, watching the shape of him move continue reading …