This morning, over pancakes, Amira finally told us why.
Jamal introduced her to a girlfriend she’d never heard of. The couple spent the entire time kissing, like they were in some cheesy movie. Then they had a loud argument that shook the walls. The girlfriend even called Amira by the wrong name — twice.
That was enough for her.
Later that day, while we were working on her school project, she asked me, “Why didn’t you ever leave?”
It hit harder than anything. I told her the truth — that I stayed because I wanted to, because loving her had never been conditional.
She didn’t say anything else. But her silence felt lighter than it used to.
By Monday, my name in her phone had changed to “Dad.”
I thought that was the end — a quiet win.
But life had another twist.
That Friday, Zahra received a notice from Jamal’s lawyer: he wanted joint custody — holidays, medical decisions, school decisions, everything. Continue reading…
