Blue collar, calloused hands

I’m leaving my wife.

The kids, too.

It gets harder each time.

Divorce? No, no. Not in the least. Everything I do is for them.

The contract has me gone for another three months. I live in fear that each will be the last. It’s greuling, especially now that Janie’s getting older. You know she didn’t even recognize me the last time I came back? Took three weeks for her to realize that I’m her daddy.

It’s dangerous work, but it pays the bills. I just hope that one day, they appreciate it and think about how I gave everything I could instead of thinking about the empty chair at the dinner table. All the missed concerts, birthdays...baseball games, award ceremonies.

I do it for them. All of it.