The photographer.
The unity table stood near the front.
A large candle burned there.
An empty place waited beside it.
Ryan followed Amelia inside.
“Sweetheart.”
She turned.
He stopped.
Amelia hugged her candle against her chest.
“I came because you’re my dad.”
Ryan nodded.
“I know.”
“I love you.”
His face crumpled.
“I love you too.”
Then Amelia said:
“But I didn’t come to say what you did was okay.”
Nobody moved.
I wanted to cross the room and stop this.
Not because Ryan didn’t deserve to hear it.
Because Amelia was nine.
She wasn’t supposed to carry the moral weight of four adults.
So I walked toward her.
“Come on, sweetheart.”
She looked relieved.
That mattered more than anything she had said.
I took her hand.
Near the entrance, my mother hurried toward us.
“Annie.”
I stopped.
“At least stay for the family photographs.”
I almost laughed.
“Mom.”
“For Amelia’s sake.”
Amelia looked at her grandmother.
“Mom came because I needed her.”
My mother went quiet.
Amelia held up the candle.
“That’s supporting family.”
For once, Mom had nothing to say.
She picked Amelia’s coat off a nearby chair.
Then helped her put it on.
That small act meant more to me than an apology would have in that moment.
Behind us, the photographer began arranging people.
“New family portrait!”Family
I felt Amelia’s hand tighten around mine.
Ryan looked toward us.
There was apparently a place reserved beside him and Lina for Amelia.
