Chapter 22 - Vanessa Asks for Nothing
At sixty, Vanessa was diagnosed with lymphoma.
Treatable, but serious.
She did not ask family for anything.
That bothered Daniel.
“Why won’t she let us help?”
I smiled.
“You trained her not to need family?”
“No.”
“Maybe she’s afraid help becomes debt.”
Old family pattern.
I called her.
“What do you need?”
“Nothing.”
“Bad answer.”
She laughed.
We brought meals.
Not takeover.
She accepted.
During chemotherapy she said:
“I used to think if I stopped being useful, Mom would stop loving me.”
My chest hurt.
“She didn’t.”
“I know.”
“You know now.”
“Yes.”
“Would it have changed things if she told you sooner?”
“Maybe.”
Then Vanessa looked at me.
“Would you have forgiven me sooner if I told you how afraid I was?”
“No.”
She laughed.
“Fair.”
Fear explains.
Does not erase.
May you like
She recovered.
Life continued.
