Chapter 22 - Vivian’s apology fails the first time
Vivian asked to meet.
Leah approved.
Neutral office.
Vivian entered without Charles Pembroke.
Progress.
She sat across from me.
Then:
“I’m sorry the arrangement became confusing.”
I almost stood.
“No.”
Her face changed.
“What?”
“Try again when there is a verb.”
She stared.
I had learned that from therapy.
Annoying.
Useful.
Vivian looked down.
Then:
“I’m sorry I kept extending control after you asked for it back.”
Better.
Then she ruined it.
“I was protecting Noah.”
I laughed.
“There.”
“What?”
“You apologized and immediately explained why you were right.”
“I didn’t say I was right.”
“You said protecting.”
She became angry.
“I did protect him.”
“Yes.”
That stopped her.
Because I was not erasing the beginning.
I continued:
“When I was sick, you protected him.”
She started crying.
“When I had nowhere appropriate to go, you protected both of us.”
Tears fell.
“And then I recovered.”
Vivian closed her eyes.
“You didn’t know how to stop.”
She whispered:
May you like
“No.”
That was the first honest answer.
