Chapter 19 - THE LAST VISIT
Celeste became eligi-ble for a supervised restorative meeting years later.
Sophie was twelve.
This time, Sophie asked.
Ethan did not answer immediately.
He spoke with her therapist.
Her attorney.
Then Sophie.
“You don’t owe Celeste anything.”
“I know.”
“You don’t have to forgive her.”
“I know.”
“You can leave whenever you want.”
“I know, Dad.”
She smiled.
“You say stuff a lot.”
He laughed.
The meeting occurred in a neutral room.
Celeste entered first.
She looked older.
No designer clothes.
No polished image.
Sophie looked almost nothing like the little girl Celeste remembered.
Tall.
Confident.
Claire’s eyes.
Celeste began crying.
Sophie did not.
“Hello.”
“Hi.”
They sat.
Celeste waited.
Sophie asked:
“Why did you marry my dad?”
Celeste answered truthfully.
“Richard told me to get close to him.”
“Did you love him?”
“Eventually.”
Sophie nodded.
“Did you love me?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t that stop you?”
Celeste looked down.
“Because I had spent years choosing fear.”
Sophie waited.
Celeste continued.
“Every bad decision made the next bad decision easier.”
“I told myself I couldn’t go back.”
“I told myself Richard controlled me.”
“I told myself keeping you calm was protecting you.”
“I told myself a lot of things.”
Sophie asked:
“Were they true?”
“No.”
There it was.
The answer.
Celeste reached into her folder.
A guard watched carefully.
She removed a small piece of paper.
“I wrote something for you.”
Sophie looked at Ethan.
He nodded.
The guard inspected it.
Then handed it over.
You were never responsible for what I did.
Only that.
Sophie read it.
Folded it.
Placed it on the table.
“I know.”
Celeste broke.
She cried quietly.
Sophie did not comfort her.
Nor did she punish her.
She simply stood.
“I don’t hate you.”
Celeste looked up.
Hope appeared.
Sophie continued:
“But I don’t want you in my life.”
The hope disappeared.
Celeste nodded.
“I understand.”
Sophie turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
“I hope you become better anyway.”
Celeste covered her face.
Sophie left.
Outside, Ethan asked:
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Sure?”
“Dad.”
“What?”
“I’m allowed to be okay.”
He smiled.
Claire again.
Trust herself.
“Yes.”
They walked outside.
The sky was bright.
Sophie looked upward.
“Can we get pizza?”
“That was your big emotional recovery plan?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent.”
May you like
They got pizza.
Healing was sometimes that ordinary.
