She laughed.
“What if something really bad happens?”
Ethan looked at her.
“Call me.”
“What if you’re overseas?”
“Call me.”
“What if it’s three in the morning?”
“Call me.”
“What if you’re in a meeting?”
“Lily.”
She smiled.
“I know.”
“What?”
“You’ll come.”
Ethan nodded.
“Yes.”
The next morning, he helped carry boxes into her dormitory.
Lily’s roommate watched in amusement as Ethan inspected the window lock, desk chair, smoke detector, and hallway exit.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“You’re being weird.”
“I’m being thorough.”
“You tested the smoke detector twice.”
“The first sound was weak.”
“It was identical.”
Ethan sighed.
“Fine.”
Lily hugged him near the door.
For the first time, Ethan understood how difficult the correct choice could feel.
Every instinct told him to keep her close.
Every lesson he had learned told him to let her go.
“I love you.”
“Love you too.”
“Call me.”
“I will.”
“Not only if something is wrong.”
“I know.”
“And—”
“Dad.”
He stopped.
Lily smiled.
“Go.”
Ethan nodded.
He walked down the hallway.
At the elevator he looked back.
Lily was still standing in the doorway.
She waved.
He waved.
Then she went inside.
Ethan rode the elevator downstairs alone.
There were tears in his eyes by the time he reached the parking lot.
Caroline called exactly four minutes later.
“Are you crying?”
“No.”
“You sound like you’re crying.”
“I’m in Chicago. It’s windy.”
“You’re indoors.”
Ethan hung up on her.
Lily thrived.
She struggled sometimes too.
There were failed exams.
A friendship that ended badly.
A boyfriend Ethan disliked immediately and turned out to be correct about.
A second boyfriend Ethan disliked slightly less.
Lily changed majors from economics to psychology.
When Ethan asked why, she shrugged.
“I like understanding why people do things.”
He understood the connection but did not say it.
During her junior year, Lily called him from campus.
It was nearly midnight.
Ethan answered on the first ring.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
He sat up.
“You called at midnight.”
“I’m allowed.”
“You are. But you usually text before calling.”
Lily was quiet.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Do you still have the video?”
Ethan knew immediately what she meant.
The closet footage.
“Yes.”
“Have you watched it since the divorce?”
“No.”
“Do you ever want to?”
“No.”
“Why did you keep it?”
Ethan looked into the dark room.
“Legal records.”
“That was years ago.”
“Yes.”
Lily waited.
Ethan understood.
“You want me to delete it?”
“Maybe.”
“It’s yours too.”
“I don’t want there to be a video of me like that.”
Ethan’s answer came immediately.
“Okay.”
“You can really delete it?”
“Yes.”
“What if you need it someday?”
“For what?”
“I don’t know.”