Chapter 25 - Grandma and Percival
Percival was eight when he agreed to be alone in a room with Estelle again.
Not unsupervised.
Dr. Hart sat nearby.
I waited outside at his request.
He carried no toy airplane this time.
He had outgrown the small plastic one.
Now he liked model kits.
Estelle entered.
“Hi, Percy.”
“Hi.”
Silence.
Then:
“You hit me.”
“Yes.”
“Because ring.”
“Because I thought you had taken it.”
“Did you ask?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Estelle swallowed.
“Because I was too sure.”
He frowned.
“Too sure?”
“I decided I knew before I actually knew.”
He liked that phrase.
Then:
“Thayer told you?”
“He made me suspicious.”
“Did he make your hand?”
Her face collapsed.
“No.”
Good.
Percival:
“Daddy hit you.”
“Yes.”
“Was he wrong?”
“Yes.”
He looked toward the door.
I heard later that he smiled slightly.
Then:
“Everybody wrong.”
Estelle almost laughed.
“Yes.”
“Except me.”
She laughed through tears.
“In that particular five minutes, yes.”
Percival nodded, satisfied.
Then he asked:
“Where ring?”
“In a bank box.”
“Why bank?”
“Safer.”
“From me?”
Estelle’s face went still.
“No.”
Immediate.
“Not from you.”
He watched her carefully.
Then:
“Can I see sometime?”
“Yes.”
She corrected herself.
“If your dad agrees and you still want to.”
Good.
No assumption.
At the end, Estelle asked:
“Would you like a hug?”
Percival said:
“No.”
Her face hurt.
“Okay.”
Then he stood.
At the door he stopped.
“Maybe birthday.”
She smiled.
“Maybe.”
That was enough.
Months later, he hugged her at his birthday.
May you like
His choice.
Nobody applauded.
