Chapter 13
Marcus apologized to Clara.
I did not ask him to.
That mattered.
He waited three days.
Then came to the nursery with no gift.
Good.
Clara looked at him from behind a book.
“Uncle Marcus.”
He crouched.
“Can I talk to you?”
She looked at me.
I nodded only to say the choice was hers.
She thought.
“Okay.”
Marcus swallowed.
“I tried to help Aunt Katherine take your daddy’s place.”
Clara frowned.
“My chair?”
“No.”
He almost smiled.
“Your daddy’s work chair.”
She looked relieved.
“Not Clara chair.”
“No.”
Good distinction.
He continued.
“I knew she wanted your daddy to get sick.”
Clara’s face changed.
I watched carefully.
Marcus stopped.
“Do you want me to keep talking?”
She shook her head.
He nodded.
“Okay.”
That alone mattered.
Adults in this family were learning to stop when children said stop.
Marcus stood.
Clara looked at him.
“Are you bad?”
He thought.
“I did something bad.”
Same answer I would have given.
She looked at me.
I said nothing.
Then:
“You hit Daddy.”
Marcus nodded.
“Yes.”
“Daddy hit you.”
I almost coughed.
“Yes.”
She considered.
“Don’t do again.”
Marcus nearly laughed.
“I won’t.”
She returned to her book.
Conversation over.
Outside, Marcus leaned against the wall.
“That was worse than council.”
“Good.”
He looked at me.
“Do you believe me?”
“About what?”
“That I won’t do it again.”
I thought.
“I believe you mean it now.”
His face tightened.
“Not enough?”
“Meaning it is where you start.”
He nodded slowly.
Access would not return because remorse arrived.
Rank would not return because blood demanded it.
May you like
Marcus had spent years believing family erased consequences.
He was learning the opposite.
