"This is where we say goodbye for now."
Alex stood in front of his daughter, his hands shoved into his pockets. He tried for a smile, but it felt fragile on his face. "Don't look like that. I'll be back. We'll do… dad stuff. I don't know what that is, honestly. Fishing? Terrible movies? We'll figure it out."
Annabeth's eyes were already shimmering. She blinked hard, trying to stop the tears before they fell. "Why do you have to go? You can stay. We just found each other. We could… we could go see mom. Together. You don't have to leave right now."
The hope in her voice was the hardest part. Alex looked away for a second, gathering himself. Then he met her gaze again, his own expression softening into something sad and firm.
"I can't stay, Beth. Not yet." He let out a long breath. "It's not that I don't want to. It's that I can't."
"But why?"
