My husband left me to marry my younger sister. Four years later, when he saw the little boy standing behind me, his face lost all color.

Years later, when Jacob asked me why his parents weren’t together, I told him the truth in simple terms: Adults make mistakes and love doesn’t always last as long as it should. But I also told him that his father loved him, even if it took him time to show him.

And this is how I found my balance: to protect my son’s heart while leaving him with the space necessary to weave his own bond with the man who had broken mine. It wasn’t really forgiveness, not really. But it was a peace. Hard-won, imperfect and real.