Chapter 26 - THE WATCHTwo years after I came home, I opened the safe.
New safe.
New code.
Only Maya and I knew it.
We were living together again by then.
Slowly.
After nine months apart.
Couples therapy.
Individual therapy.
Rules.
No family member with emergency keys.
No financial power of attorney without professional review.
No using other relatives as messengers.
My Omega sat inside.
Julian had returned it.
I had never worn it again.
Maya stood in the doorway.
“You keeping that forever?”
“I don’t know.”
“You like it?”
“It was our wedding watch.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
I smiled.
“No.”
“Then sell it.”
I looked at the metal.
For years it symbolized Julian on the patio.
Champagne.
My property on his wrist.
Then I realized:
A watch is not a recovered relationship.
I sold it.
Used part of the money to replace Maya’s grandmother’s earrings because the originals had been scratched.
She objected.
“You didn’t lose them.”
“My family did.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“I know.”
I stopped.
“Do you want me to?”
She considered.
“Yes.”
May you like
There.
Question first.
