Chapter 22 - Mom apologizes to Daniel
Mom’s apology to Daniel mattered more than hers to me.
She had treated the baby-shower insult as acceptable.
He saw.
She had helped Mike conceal Molly.
That affected Daniel too.
She asked if he would meet her with me present.
He agreed.
Mom said:
“Daniel, I knew Mike had another daughter.”
He stared.
“For how long?”
“Several years.”
“You knew Molly?”
“I met her once.”
His face changed.
“Before I did.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought telling your mother would break up the family.”
“We were family.”
“Yes.”
He looked angry.
“So Molly wasn’t?”
Mom’s eyes filled.
There.
Children find the logical cruelty in adult euphemisms.
“She was.”
“Then why was she secret?”
“Because I made a bad choice.”
Daniel waited.
Mom continued:
“I decided keeping things looking stable was more important than giving your mother the truth.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
“Did you know Aunt Naya was cheating with Mike?”
“I suspected.”
“Did you tell Mom?”
“No.”
He looked at me.
Then back.
“You’re bad at telling people things.”
I almost laughed.
Mom did too, through tears.
“Yes.”
Then:
“I am sorry I joined Naya in humiliating your mother at the shower.”
Daniel said:
“You shouldn’t have.”
“I know.”
“Because Dad died.”
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
He meant Evan.
“That was mean.”
“Yes.”
Then:
“Okay.”
No hug.
No forgiveness performance.
Later, Mom told me:
“He sounded like your father.”
I answered:
“He sounded like himself.”
May you like
Important.
Daniel did not need to inherit anybody’s role.
