Chapter 16
Two years after I uncovered the truth, Caspian asked to see Elspeth.
I said:
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
He was seven.
Not old enough to understand everything.
Old enough to choose a supervised meeting.
We met in a garden.
Neutral.
Elspeth stood when he arrived.
She did not approach.
Good.
Caspian stayed beside me.
She said:
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
Silence.
Then he asked:
“Did you lie to Mommy?”
Elspeth’s face broke.
“Yes.”
“About food?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She took a long time.
“Because I wanted her to do what I wanted more than I respected what she wanted.”
Good answer.
No accidental language.
No excuses.
Caspian looked at me.
Then back.
“Did you want her dead?”
“No.”
Immediate.
He thought.
“Still bad.”
“Yes.”
Elspeth cried.
Caspian did not hug her.
He did not need to.
Then he asked:
“Why did you do it to me?”
That one destroyed her.
She whispered:
“Because you reminded me of what I did.”
Caspian frowned.
“So you got mad at me?”
“Yes.”
He looked almost offended by the stupidity.
Fair.
Then:
“Don’t.”
“I won’t.”
Meeting over.
May you like
No restored aunt relationship.
But truth finally passed between them without adults editing it.
