Chương 14
He looked down.
“But you came to school plays. You sat in the emergency room. You taught me to drive badly.”
“You drove badly.”
“There he is.”
Richard almost smiled.
Claire wiped beneath one eye.
“You loved me and harmed me.”
Richard swallowed.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know what to do with both.”
“I don’t either.”
For the first time, Claire believed him.
She left after forty-eight minutes.
Two days later, she told Margaret what Richard had confessed about William’s note.
Margaret sat at Claire’s kitchen table and listened without interrupting.
When Claire finished, Margaret stared at the grain of the wood.
“He never told me.”
“I know.”
Margaret’s breathing changed.
Claire watched anger arrive.
Not grief.
Not guilt.
Anger.
“He gave me your father’s letter and told me William had gone.”
“He gave you what?”
Claire leaned forward.
Margaret looked up.
“Not the letter. Sorry. I mean he told me William had left.”
Claire’s pulse slowed.
For a second she had thought there was another document.
Margaret pressed both hands to her temples.
“He said William didn’t argue.”
“He did.”
“I know that now.”
“He asked to hear it from you.”
Margaret’s eyes filled.
Claire felt no satisfaction.
Margaret whispered, “I would have gone downstairs.”
Claire stared.
“Would you?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t when you knew he was there.”
“I know.”
“So don’t rewrite yourself either.”
Margaret flinched.
Claire continued.
“You might have gone. You might have panicked again. You don’t know.”
Margaret lowered her hands.
“No.”
“You both keep trying to find the exact moment where everything became the other person’s fault.”
Margaret looked at her.
Claire heard the truth as she said it.
“And I keep trying to find it too.”
The kitchen became quiet.
Emma made a soft sound from the floor mat.
Margaret looked over.
Claire followed her gaze.
The baby had discovered her own hand and appeared offended by it.
Margaret laughed through her tears.
Claire smiled.
Neither woman moved for several seconds.
Then Margaret said, “You’re right.”
Claire looked back at her.
“I made the first decision.”
“Not the first. Your father threatened you financially.”
“My father was cruel. Richard manipulated things. William stopped looking. Everybody gets a piece.”
Margaret rubbed her thumb.
“But I knew I was pregnant. I knew William loved me. I decided not to tell him.”
Claire nodded.
“And later, I chose the easier lie again and again.”
“Yes.”
Margaret looked toward Emma.
“I don’t want you to forgive me because I finally admitted it.”
“Good.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
Claire picked up her tea.
Margaret said, “I want to earn some kind of relationship with you.”
Claire stared into the cup.
“That may not look like what you had before.”
“I know.”
“It may be less.”
“I know.”
“It may take a long time.”
Margaret nodded.
“I know.”
Claire looked at her mother’s hands.
For the first time, she noticed Margaret had stopped wearing her wedding ring.
The next major fracture came from Vanessa.
She had been trying to stay out of the conflict and failed.
Peter—who did, Claire admitted privately, have extremely memorable teeth—had postponed the engagement announcement after the ballroom disaster.
Vanessa interpreted the postponement as rejection.
Peter interpreted her reaction as proof that Vanessa cared more about spectacle than marriage.
They fought.
Vanessa came to Claire’s townhouse carrying two bottles of sparkling water and wearing sunglasses indoors.
“I may have broken up with him.”
Claire looked at Emma.
“Your aunt has impeccable timing.”
Vanessa removed the sunglasses.
“I didn’t break up with him exactly.”
“What did you say?”
“That if he was embarrassed by my family, he should find a family with fewer generals.”
Claire stared.
Vanessa groaned.
“I know.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“I know.”
“What did he say?”
“He said, ‘This is why I wanted to wait.’”
“Reasonable.”
“Traitor.”
Claire handed Vanessa a burp cloth.
“You’re holding her.”
Vanessa froze.
“What?”
“You said you wanted to.”
“I do.”
“Wash your hands.”
Vanessa did.
When Claire placed Emma in her arms, Vanessa’s entire posture changed.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“She’s heavier.”
“Than what?”
“I don’t know. A concept?”
Claire laughed.
Vanessa looked down at the baby.
“Hi.”
Emma stared at her.
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
“Oh, don’t do that.”
“She’s six weeks old. I don’t think she’s manipulating you.”
“She’s a Bennett.”
Claire’s smile faded slightly.
Vanessa noticed.
“Sorry.”
“No. She is.”
“She’s also a Hayes.”
Claire looked at her.
“And whatever her father is.”
Vanessa nodded quickly.
“Right. Obviously.”
Claire watched her sister hold Emma.
“You were going to say something before Peter.”
Vanessa hesitated.
“Dad offered me the house.”
“What house?”
“The lake house.”
Claire blinked.
“What?”
“He said if Mom divorces him, he wants to make sure ‘family assets remain with family.’”
“That sounds ominous.”
“I said no.”
Claire stared.
Vanessa looked offended.
“You don’t have to look shocked.”
“I’m trying not to.”
“You’re failing.”
“Why did you say no?”
Vanessa adjusted Emma carefully.
“Because he wasn’t giving me a house.”
Claire waited.
“He was giving me a side.”
The answer pleased Claire and saddened her.
“What did he do?”
“He said I was being influenced by you.”
Claire laughed.
“Finally. I’ve been waiting thirty-two years for credit.”
Vanessa smiled.
Then her face became serious.
“I told him he used me against you when we were kids.”
Claire looked down.
“What did he say?”
“He said that was an ugly exaggeration.”
“Of course.”
“So I gave him examples.”
Claire’s chest tightened.
“What examples?”
“The Boston program.”
Claire looked up.
“How do you know about that?”
“I heard you fighting.”
“You were thirteen.”
“I was nosy.”
“You still are.”
“True.”
Vanessa looked at Emma.
“And the Christmas when he gave me the car.”
Claire remembered.
She had been twenty-one.
Vanessa was seventeen.
Richard bought Vanessa a new convertible for Christmas.
Claire had received a set of antique embroidery scissors.
They were beautiful.
She still owned them.
May you like
Richard had spent the entire morning asking why Claire seemed “determined to ruin everyone’s joy.”
Vanessa’s voice was quiet.
