I cried so hard during the drive home I had to pull over because I couldn’t see the road.
That evening, Ryan walked into the house carrying yellow roses and cupcakes from my favorite bakery.
“Hey,” he said softly. “I thought maybe we could…”
Then he saw the room.
Both our families were sitting there waiting.
My parents looked pale and hollow.
His mother stood near the fireplace clutching her purse.
And I stood in the center holding Claire’s phone.
“Sit down,” I said quietly.
Ryan’s face changed immediately.
I pressed play.
Nobody spoke through the first video.
Or the second.
Or the third.
By then Ryan had gone gray.
His mother sat down hard without even realizing it.
Finally he whispered, “I can explain.”
“Please do.”