Chapter 13 - CLAIRE AND EVELYN
Moving near Claire did not instantly heal two years of estrangement.
Evelyn wanted to pretend the fight had never happened.
Claire refused.
“You told me I was making things harder.”
“I was wrong.”
“You stopped calling.”
“So did you.”
Claire nodded.
“Yes.”
Both true.
Evelyn had protected her sons by pushing away the daughter who challenged the pattern.
Claire had protected herself by leaving instead of trying to stay connected in smaller ways.
Neither woman turned the reunion into sainthood.
Claire helped Evelyn move.
Evelyn paid her own rent.
Claire did not become caretaker by default.
They had dinner twice a week.
Sometimes once.
May you like
Sometimes they argued.
That was better than forced closeness.
