Chapter 25
“I wish I’d understood that earlier.”
“So do I.”
We did not say anything for a while.
Then he asked whether I would like to have lunch with him the following Sunday.
Not at his house.
Not because he needed a payment.
Just lunch.
I said yes.
It was a small invitation, but it meant more to me than the expensive dinners I had once helped finance.
In March, Lily celebrated her ninth birthday.
Benjamin called to ask whether I would attend the family gathering at the rental house.
“Genevieve is hosting,” he said carefully.
“She said you’re welcome to come.”
The word welcome still carried a small sting.
But I accepted the invitation.
I arrived with a modest gift, a handmade card, and a chocolate cake from the bakery Lily loved.
The rental house was smaller than the townhouse, with a narrow kitchen and a living room that barely accommodated the guests.
There were no marble countertops, no elaborate decorations, and no country club invitations on the table.
There was laughter.
There were mismatched plates.
There were children running through the hallway.
For the first time in years, the family gathering felt like something ordinary people might enjoy rather than something designed to impress others.
Genevieve greeted me at the door.
“Eleanor.”
“Genevieve.”
We stood facing each other, neither of us quite sure how to proceed.
Finally, she stepped aside.
“Come in.”
I entered.
She had prepared sandwiches, fruit, and a simple pasta salad.
Lily’s friends had decorated the dining table with paper flowers.
I placed the cake on the counter.
“Would you like help?”
Genevieve hesitated.
Then she nodded.
“Could you slice the strawberries?”
We stood together in the kitchen, washing fruit and arranging it on a platter.
For several minutes, we worked without speaking.
Finally, she said, “I owe you an apology.”
I set down the knife.
She looked at the strawberries.
“I was cruel to you.
I told myself I was protecting our household from interference, but I was happy to accept your help whenever it benefited us.
I didn’t think about what that meant for you.”
I waited.
“I also encouraged Benjamin to send that message.
I wanted the dinner to be exactly how I imagined it, and I decided you were the person who would complicate it.”
Her voice trembled.
“I was wrong.”
I looked at her carefully.
“Thank you for apologizing.”
She nodded.