aire were his. His children, his blood, his legacy. Every line of the report had shouted it at him with certainty, and yet, instead of dissolving the weight that had been

at he had done to Noel. If she would somehow find it before he told her. And worse, underneath the guilt and the fea

oved it. He found himself watching Noel with a sharpness that startled him, was her laugh too light with others? He hat

itude; of course, she did. She

evening as they cleared the dinner table.

e deadlines were getting to you before, b

a smile, sha

s all it is", he

d Noel had been married to him for far too l

*

ad left his laptop open in the study. The email was still on the screen. He had meant to delete it, to erase t

he house, sharper than usual, tight

stepped into the hallway. Noel stood at the doorway of his study, her face pale

, pointing at his laptop,

er eyes darted back to

tested the

rward, but she held up a

rply, her voice crack

hard, shame bur

I needed to

tly, the heartbreak in it cutting de

ildren aren't yours? That I'v

win

t like th

ed, bitter

bies, and sent them away- mere samples. As if their love for y

ent had lodged in him like a splinter? That every time he looked at Mason, h

e. Scared that everything I've built, everything we've built, wasn't real, scared

th tears, but they we

uspicion. Instead of talking to me, you

ws. He reached for her, despe

r father's illness, through your endless drive for perfection. I have given up dreams, ambitions

to plead, but she shook her

Nick. But I can't forgive no

ay then, Mason's eyes wide with co

ed softly. "What'

en looked up at them, forcin

, Mason, yo

seized. "No

n him, fire

is, broken me, Nick. I wo

hesi

ng somewher

pa's for a while", Noel said fir

something was wrong even if he didn't understan

he spoke, "You can't

loudly, but i

, she said

ard, desperatio

his. Don't take t

oice", she said, h

't trust me, my children with a father that doesn't love them enou

to his knees, to promise he would never doubt her again. But the tru

*

all and uncertain, her doll clutched tight. Mason didn't look back. The silence that followed was deafening. He stepped back inside, the house echoing with absence. Toys lay scatter

Instead, it had detonated the very foundation of his family. The test had told him the truth about his childre

's little songs. He ended up in the children's room, sitting on the edge of Mason's bed. The sheets were still tangled from the night before, the pillow still smell

, Nick was still awake, sitting in the silence of the children's room. The toys around him, the empty bed