Chapter 20 - Claire And Nora Meet Again
Nora was thirty six when Claire asked if she wanted coffee before Claire moved permanently to Washington.
Nora said yes.
Not because she wanted a relationship.
Curiosity.
I sat across café, far enough.
They talked forty five minutes.
No raised voices.
Afterward Nora got in my car.
“How was it?”
“Fine.”
“What did you ask?”
“Nothing big.”
Then:
“She says she thinks about November fourteenth every year.”
“Do you?”
“No.”
That answer relieved me.
Then:
“She asked whether I forgive her.”
“What did you say?”
“I don’t hate you. I don’t know if that’s same.”
“Good.”
Then:
“I told her no more birthday cards.”
“Why?”
“I don’t need annual reminder.”
“She okay?”
“Yes.”
Then Nora looked out window.
“She said losing clinic wasn’t punishment.”
“What?”
“She said she thought prison and clinic were punishment. But the thing she couldn’t fix was that I stopped trusting her.”
I said nothing.
Then:
“She sounded therapy.”
“Probably.”
“She meant.”
Maybe.
They did not hug.
Claire moved.
No more cards.
No secret calls.
No attempt to reconnect with grandchildren.
May you like
She respected.
That mattered.
