“This was something I always regretted,” he said. His eyes dropped to his lap and he turned his hands over so he could look at his palms. “I had my chances, more than one. But in those early years, Charity had multiple pregnancies that she lost... or so I was told. I didn’t want to abandon her...” He shook his head. “I made mistakes on all sides. As much as I did not particularly like my wife, I should not have been unfaithful. I just felt trapped and your mother, well, I saw her as my own version of freedom.”
He trailed off, his lips pinching on the side.
“How ironic,” I said, though I knew it wasn’t his fault that my mother had hidden us from him.
“I know. I’m so sorry, Ava. If your mother had told me about you, or your sisters, things would have been different. I promise.” His eyes s
