Chapter 13 - THE APOLOGY
Margaret apologized to Ethan six weeks later.
Supervised.
Therapist present.
No switch.
No family audience.
She said:
“I hit you. I should not have.”
Ethan looked at her.
“You said I was weak.”
Margaret swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Do you think I’m weak?”
Long pause.
“No.”
“Then why’d you say it?”
Margaret started to explain:
food,
discipline,
grief,
Michael.
The therapist raised one hand.
Margaret stopped.
Good.
She tried again.
“Because I was angry and I wanted you to do what I said.”
Accurate.
Ethan asked:
“Will you make me eat peas?”
Margaret almost smiled.
Then saw he was serious.
“No.”
“Ever?”
“I can ask you to try food.”
Ethan looked at Claire.
Claire said:
“You can say no.”
Margaret closed her eyes briefly.
Then nodded.
“Yes.”
That single yes was harder for her than the apology.
Ethan’s first supervised visit with Margaret lasted thirty-seven minutes.
He chose a library.
Not her house.
Not Claire’s.
Neutral.
Margaret brought no food.
No gifts.
They looked at model-train books.
At minute twenty-eight, Ethan asked:
“Are you still mad about the peas?”
Margaret said:
“No.”
“Really?”
She hesitated.
Then:
“I’m still learning not to make food mean too much.”
May you like
Ethan nodded as if that answer made more sense than an apology.
Maybe it did.
