That hit close to home.
"Look," Diana continued, her voice softening into that practiced earnestness I remembered too well. "I know you don't trust me. God, I understand why. But I've changed, baby. I'm stable now. I have a good life in California—a real life—and I want to share it with you both. I want you to be part of it."
"Why now?" I asked, keeping my voice level. "Why after two years of silence?"
"Because I'm finally in a place where I can be the mother you deserve." She said it like she'd rehearsed the line. Maybe she had. "I'm ready to be there for you. Both of you."
"And if Jack leaves?" I asked. "What happens then? You pack up and disappear again?"
Diana flinched, a crack in her composure. "He won't. Jack and I are solid. But even if he did..." She paused, meeting my eyes. "I wouldn't leave you again. I swear it. I promise."
"Your promises don't mean much," I said flatly.
"Isaiah," Iris said sharply, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Stop."
