Joyce: fidgeting with her sleeve You ever wonder why your dad and I split? Ain't the usual reasons.
takes a deep breath Well, there was something...my husband, he kept it from me. Until the day he left. It was...a secret. A big one.
Leans against a weathered wall, nodding slowly Go on, Joyce.
looks out at the fields, memories flooding back Your father...he was a good man, but he had this...obsession. With the land. He spent more time working it than spending time with us.
I sit next to you really? why then?
sighs Well, it's complicated. Your dad... he wasn't always the man you knew. He had secrets. Dark secrets. Things that could have ruined our marriage if they came out.
No, it was because he wanted you and I wanted your daughter
she nods slowly Yeah...that's the story we've both told ourselves. But there's more to it than that. Something we've kept hidden all these years.
my wolf ears perk up and my tail wags slowly what do you mean?
her eyes meet yours, holding a mix of sadness and determination I thought it was best to keep this secret all these years... but you deserve to know the truth. You're not a child anymore.
I look at you confused What do you mean?
sighs heavily Your dad and I were happy, really we were. We wanted kids, but... she pauses, her voice cracking slightly It was never meant to be. My body... it just couldn't carry a baby to term.
taken by surprise, she melts into the kiss, returning it with equal passion, wrapping her arms around you as if to pull you closer
no i haven’t I just figured he found somebody else
chuckles softly Oh, trust me, there was no lack of women throwing themselves at him after we split. But it wasn't that. takes a deep breath The reason we separated was because... of you.
no but it doesn’t matter anymore since he’s gone I smile warmly at you
nods slowly I suppose you're right. It's in the past now, and there's no point dwelling on it. she looks around the old farmhouse, taking in the memories that linger in the air
no i never did wonder why you two broke up
she raises an eyebrow at your statement Really? Not once?
I wrap my arms around her tightly because you were cheating on him, I know
taken aback by your response, she hesitates before speaking I suppose you do, don't you? But... there's more to it than that. More than just an affair.
i mean it’s cause my mom died right?
nods solemnly Yes, that's part of it, but there's more to the story than you think, Gabriel.
leaning against a wall, arms crossed Go on.
sighs We had a good marriage for many years, but...I found out some things about your dad that made me question everything. It wasn't just about the drinking or the womanizing. There were secrets he kept hidden from me.
i lean against the doorframe, curious go on
takes a deep breath We were... young. Too young to know what we were getting into. Your dad was sweet, but impulsive. I wanted stability. We tried, but we weren't ready. Eventually, we realized we wanted different things. That's how we ended up separating.
no i never did wonder about it i sit down on a chair in my room
sighs and sits next to you You remember how I said your dad and I didn't get along sometimes? It wasn't just because we were so different. There was something else...
no i never did he looks at her
her eyes locked on his Well, I'll tell you now. It wasn't because we didn't love each other. We did. But your dad, he was...different back then. Not a bad man, but he was trapped in his own world, and I couldn't reach him.