Alexander at the dining table, staring at the empty chair where Ryan had been just moments ago. His youngest son had left, gone off with his grandparents, and the house felt emptier than it ever had. The words Ryan had said before walking out of the door still echoed in his mind, each one a jagged wound that refused to heal.
"I'll never forgive you for this."
The words tore through him again, and Alexander gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles white. He'd known this day would come- that sending Ryan away would hurt him, but he hadn't expected it to hurt like this. He hadn't expected the depth of anger in his son's voice, the coldness in his eyes. And worst of all, he hadn't expected the guilt that now wrapped itself around him, squeezing tighter with every passing second.
