Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Steam curled gently above the bathtub, where Little Nina sat with her knees hugged to her chest, idly swirling a rubber duck through the bubbles.

"Don't you like that man?" Briony asked, kneeling beside the tub, her hands scrubbing Nina's back in gentle circles.

"Like him?" Nina wrinkled her nose. "Why would I like him?"

Briony paused, glancing up to meet her daughter's eyes.

Nina tipped her round head, lips pursed in thought. "Just because he's my dad, am I supposed to like him? I don't even know him! I have no idea if he's a good dad or not, so why should I like him?"

Briony fell silent, lost for words.

"Leo's dad hits his mom," Nina continued, her tone matter-of-fact. "And Leo even saw him hugging and kissing another lady. Leo told his mom, and then she and his dad had a huge fight, and then his dad hit her... Leo says he hates his dad, because his dad treats his mom horribly."

Nina blew a handful of bubbles from her palm and looked up at Briony with wide, earnest eyes.

"Mom, if he was good to you, you wouldn't dislike him, right? You're such a kind person—if you don't like him, he must have been awful to you!"

Briony stared at her, stunned by the child's logic.

badly, then I don't want

formed in Briony's throat. She reached out and stroked her

good to me, does that mean

only

launching into a string of complaints. "Every time he talks to me, his face never changes. I've never met anyone so hard

he visits. I keep telling him it's not necessary, but he still does it. What am I supposed to do with

between

came to Stewart-the father who had suddenly appeared in her life—she wanted to make her own judgments.

with him?" Nina

smiled, shaking her head. "No, sweetheart. We're

turned earnest, "I

he's alright and start to like him... would you be

"Of course not."

Briony caressed her daughter's

because your