The gate opened.
Vanessa parked near the porch.
She approached slowly.
When she saw the house again, her eyes filled.
“It looks beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
We sat outside.
There was no tea waiting.
No homemade cake.
No special effort to make her comfortable.
For once, I allowed silence to do its work.
Vanessa folded her hands.
“I was cruel to you.”
“Yes.”
“I told myself it was practical.
That you were old-fashioned.
That you didn’t need much.”
I watched her.
“But the truth is, I enjoyed making you feel small.”
Her voice broke.
“I liked being the person who decided things.
I liked knowing everyone was trying to please me.”
She wiped a tear.
“After everything came out about Dad and Jared, I realized how much of my life I’d spent becoming someone I didn’t even respect.”
I said nothing.
She looked toward the mountains.
“I started working.”
