Chapter 16 - Oliver’s Anger
Oliver did not forget once he learned.
He had no conscious memory of bin.
But knowledge creates its own feeling.
At sixteen he contacted Noah.
They had stayed occasional through messages after first meeting.
Oliver said:
“I hate your mom.”
Noah did not defend.
“Okay.”
Then:
“Do you?”
“No.”
“That pisses me off.”
“I get.”
Then Oliver asked Rachel for another meeting.
Laura was wary.
Oliver old enough.
They met with therapist.
First:
“You got custody of Noah back.”
“Yes.”
“You got to be mom after what you did to me.”
Rachel’s face fell.
“Yes.”
“How is that fair?”
Rachel took time.
“I don't know if fair is right word.”
Then:
“Court decided I became safe enough to parent Noah. That does not undo what I did to you.”
Oliver:
“You went prison fourteen months.”
“Yes.”
“That’s it?”
“Plus probation and losing years with my son.”
“Not same as what you did.”
“No.”
Good.
Then:
“Do you think you deserve second chance?”
Rachel:
“I think Noah deserved safe parent if I could become one. I don't think second chances are prizes.”
Oliver looked.
“Do you forgive yourself?”
“Some days.”
Then:
“I don't need you to.”
Excellent.
Oliver eventually said:
“I don't forgive.”
Rachel nodded.
“Okay.”
Then:
“Maybe later.”
“Okay.”
No pressure.
Then Laura later thanked Rachel for not asking.
Strange.
Then Noah told Oliver:
“Mom doesn’t need your forgiveness.”
Oliver:
“Good.”
Their friendship deepened.
Not brothers.
But linked.
They joked about hospital giving them wrong families for a day.
Dark humor came later.
Never parents' idea.
At eighteen, they took photo together outside St. Anne’s.
Not for media.
For themselves.
Caption maybe no on-screen text irrelevant. Story.
Then Margaret framed? No, they sent.
She cried.
Then Ethan wondered if our intervention made us part of Bennett family.
No.
Connection is not ownership.
We sent Christmas cards eventually.
That was enough.
Then Derek met Oliver once after Oliver requested.
Harder.
Oliver:
“You pressed lid.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I wanted crying to stop.”
“You knew I might not be Noah?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you call me son?”
“Because I was trying to control what was happening.”
Then:
“Were you trying to kill me?”
“No.”
Oliver:
“Do you think it could have?”
Derek:
“Yes.”
There.
No minimizing.
Then Oliver left.
Later told Noah:
“Your dad sucks.”
Noah laughed.
“Sometimes.”
Relationship with Derek still existed.
Complex.
May you like
Then Oliver eventually forgave Rachel but not Derek? Could. Maybe he never forgave Derek. Different answers.
Good.
