Chapter 26 - Pierce and Lenora
Pierce met Lenora alone after three years.
Not before.
Not with Cade.
Public café.
He told me afterward.
Lenora said:
“You hate me.”
“No.”
“You should.”
“No.”
Then:
“I hate what you taught me about fear.”
She went quiet.
Pierce continued:
“You taught me that if someone cried, the lesson wasn’t finished.”
Lenora cried.
“I thought I made you resilient.”
“You made me good at hiding panic.”
That hurt her.
Then:
“But you also taught me to swim.”
He did not erase positive.
“I love swimming.”
Lenora stared.
“So was I wrong?”
Pierce said:
“About some things, yes. About all things, no.”
Harder answer.
Then:
“What do you want from me?”
“Stop using my adult success as proof every childhood method was good.”
She nodded.
Then:
“Can I see Cade?”
“Not because we had coffee.”
Good.
“Eventually?”
“If he wants.”
Lenora cried.
Pierce did not fix.
Then:
“I miss him.”
“I know.”
“Does he miss me?”
“Sometimes.”
“That hurts.”
“I know.”
May you like
No rescue.
That was Pierce’s version of ending the old pattern.
