When Anna stormed out of our apartment with nothing but a suitcase and the cold, “I can’t do this anymore,” I was left standing there with our four-year-old twins, Max and Lily.

We were a family for one minute, then I was alone with two kids and a mountain of expenses.

I was a software programmer at a computer business that promised great profits, but some shady things transpired, and it went bankrupt before we realized it. I went from earning a six-figure salary to receiving unemployment checks overnight.

I could see the disappointment in Anna’s eyes the day I delivered her the news. She was a marketing executive and one of the most presentable women I’d ever seen. But I never imagined she would depart during difficult times.

I drove for ride-sharing businesses at night and delivered groceries during the day.

All the while, I was juggling childcare. Max and Lily were upset and kept asking about their mother.

Fortunately, my parents were close. They assisted with the twins at night and whenever I needed them, but they were unable to assist financially.

Max and Lily, however, were my lifeline. Their little arms around me at the end of a long day, their tiny voices whispering, “We love you, Daddy,” pushed me forward. I couldn’t let them down.

I’m glad the second year after Anna went was so different. I got a freelance coding project, and the customer was so impressed with my skills that he offered me full-time remote employment with his cybersecurity firm.

The salary wasn’t six figures, but it was stable. We relocated to a cozier apartment, and I began to care for myself again. I went to the gym, cooked nutritious meals, and set a routine for the kids.

And then, exactly two years later, I saw Anna again.

While Max and Lily were at preschool, I was at a café near our new home catching up on work.

She sat alone at a corner table, head down, tears streaming down her cheeks.

This woman appeared worn. Her coat had faded, her hair was dull, and the heavy circles under her eyes indicated a lack of sleep.

So what happened? Why was she crying in a random trendy coffee shop? I knew I shouldn’t care. I should ignore her, finish my drink, and leave right away. But she was, after all, the mother of my kids.

“You left us. You walked out without any remorse. And now, two years later, I find you crying in a café? What’s going on?”

Her head shook again. “I can’t explain it, but leaving you was so wrong. I lost my job almost immediately after. I survived on my savings; my parents sent me some money, but they cut me off after a few months. The people I thought were my friends disappeared when I needed them most.”

“I miss you,” she croaked, sniffling. “I want to come back.”

Anna reached across the table, her hand hovering close to mine. “David, please. I know I don’t deserve it, but I’ll do anything to make it right. I’ve been living in cheap apartments, hopping from one temp job to another. I’ve had time to think. I realize now what I lost.”

I pulled my hand back. “You didn’t think about Max and Lily, did you? Not once in two years. In fact, you haven’t even mentioned them since I sat down.”