Chapter 10 - CLAIRE'S FAILURE
Claire wanted to make Robert the whole story.
Her therapist would not let her.
“What did you miss?”
Claire hated the question.
Then answered.
Evan asked her once:
“Can Dad not do exercises with me?”
Claire said:
“He’s trying to help.”
Another time:
“Can I sleep in your room when Dad’s mad?”
Claire said:
“You’re safe. He just gets loud.”
Safe.
She had used the word because she needed it to be true.
Evan once told her:
“Dad squeezes too hard.”
Claire asked where.
“My arm.”
She said:
“Tell him to stop.”
She did not ask whether Robert stopped when Evan said it.
Claire cried through the entire session.
Her therapist said:
“Responsibility is not the same as authorship. Robert made his choices. You still need to understand yours.”
That distinction hurt.
Then Claire found an old voice memo on her phone.
Evan recorded it accidentally while playing with the device months earlier.
Background voices.
Robert:
“Stop crying.”
Evan:
“You’re hurting me.”
Robert:
“Then stop fighting me.”
Claire’s own voice, from another room:
“Everything okay?”
Robert answered loudly:
“Fine!”
Then Claire said:
“Okay.”
The recording ended.
She listened again.
Her own voice sounded casual.
That was unbearable.
Then came the final seconds.
Very faintly, Evan whispered:
“Mom?”
May you like
Claire had not heard him that day.
Now she did.
