My father, to his credit, started going to therapy too. He learned that “being present” isn’t the same as “being intimate.” He started taking her on dates again—real ones, not just anniversary dinners.

What does the story explore? Themes like love, loss, decision-making, or personal growth can add layers to the narrative.

Last Thanksgiving, Richard’s name came up by accident. My father was carving the turkey. My mother was pouring wine. Someone mentioned Portland, and the room went quiet for exactly one second.

And me? I learned that love is rarely a straight line. It’s more like a messy sketch—erased, redrawn, smudged. The geometry of forgiveness doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to hold.

Part 2 begins ten years later. I am twenty-two, fresh out of college, and home for the summer. I thought the triangle had dissolved. I was wrong.