her.
“And you couldn’t ask me?”
She lowered her eyes.
“I was afraid you’d never forgive me for waiting so long.”
I stared at the picture again.
Robert had been there for her.
Just as he’d always been there for me.
But I couldn’t pretend his secrecy didn’t hurt.
“I wish he’d trusted me,” I whispered.
Susan nodded.
“So do I.”
That was the first moment I truly believed she understood what she’d taken from me.
Not the chance to judge her.
The chance to support her.
That evening, Emily
invited us to dinner.
We went to a little restaurant overlooking the harbor.
For the first time in years, Susan seemed lighter.
She laughed easily.
She asked Emily about her children.
She listened to stories about school projects and family vacations.
I watched her face transform every time Emily called her Mom.
At one point, Emily excused herself to answer
