Chapter 22 - Coralie’s Mother-in-Law
Eugenia asked me for coffee.
Three years after incident.
I almost said no.
Then yes.
Public café.
She paid for her own coffee.
I noticed because old Eugenia always ordered for table.
Small change.
She said:
“I owe you an apology separate from Niles.”
“Yes.”
“I treated you as if you had used your son to gain access to the company.”
“I didn’t even understand the trust.”
“I know that now.”
“You could have asked.”
“I did not want answer. I wanted evidence.”
There.
Then:
“I thought Silas’s estate plan was an insult.”
“To you.”
“Yes.”
“And Niles?”
“A trigger.”
I hated word.
She corrected herself.
“A child I used because his birthday activated something I resented.”
Better.
Then:
“Do you forgive me?”
I drank coffee.
“Partly.”
She nodded.
“Will you ever trust me alone with him?”
“I don’t know.”
Years earlier, I would have said never.
Now honesty.
Then:
“Can I earn?”
“You can behave safely whether or not it earns what you want.”
She looked at me.
That landed.
Good.
We finished coffee.
No hug.
May you like
No sisterhood.
Relationship became possible because authority remained absent.
