Her words were a sharp reminder of the life he’d missed, the milestones he hadn’t witnessed, the family he’d abandoned. Yet, in her voice, he heard a sliver of hope—a chance for redemption. “I want to be there for them, however you’ll allow me to. To be accountable and present.”

Silence stretched between them as Elena weighed his words. She’d spent countless nights envisioning this conversation, picturing all the things she would say, the anger she’d unleash. But standing here now, she found herself unexpectedly tired of the fight, longing instead for resolution and clarity.

“Okay,” she said slowly. “But understand this, Miles—this is about them, not us. They’re what matters.”