I told her

I told my daughter that she shouldn't expect her father to return and shouldn't wait for us to live together again. She immediately started crying and kept asking why. I tried to reassure her that we are still her parents and still love her a lot no matter what. It was a short and painful conversation. I am sure she will continue to think about it and ask questions about it. It seems that I won't be able to totally protect her from negative emotions. I can only offer support and sympathy.

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