Chapter 21
Audrey met Vivienne when she was twelve.
Cassandro said no.
Natalie said no.
At the same time.
Audrey stared at both of them.
“You agree too much now.”
Neither found that funny.
Rachel did.
The meeting request had come from Audrey.
Not Vivienne.
That mattered.
“I want to ask why she married Dad.”
Cassandro frowned.
“That has nothing to do with you.”
Audrey looked at him.
“It does.”
Unfortunately.
She was right.
Vivienne had entered Audrey’s life as Natalie’s friend.
Then remained.
Then became someone Audrey depended on.
Then married Cassandro.
Then tried to suppress Audrey’s memories to preserve the life created by Natalie’s absence.
The marriage was part of Audrey’s story whether Cassandro liked it or not.
The meeting was structured.
Neutral office.
Forty minutes.
Cassandro and Natalie in the next room.
Vivienne entered looking older.
No Moretti jewelry.
That detail would have meant nothing to Audrey if adults had not once made jewelry mean authority.
She sat.
“Hello, Audrey.”
“Hi.”
Silence.
Then:
“Why Dad?”
Vivienne looked confused.
Audrey clarified.
“Why marry him if you knew Mom didn’t leave normal?”
There it was.
Vivienne took time.
“At first, I believed Natalie would stay away.”
“That not answer.”
“No.”
She tried again.
“After she left, I spent more time around your father.”
Audrey waited.
“He was grieving.”
“And you helped.”
“Yes.”
“You knew why.”
Vivienne looked down.
“Yes.”
“So fake.”
“No.”
The answer came quickly.
Audrey’s face hardened.
Vivienne corrected herself.
“My feelings for him were real.”
Another pause.
“What I allowed him to believe was not.”
That distinction mattered.
Audrey asked:
“Did Dad love you?”
Cassandro heard through the adjoining audio connection and became very still.
Vivienne answered:
“Yes.”
“Did you love him?”
“Yes.”
“Then love bad?”
“No.”
Vivienne stopped.
Apparently every adult eventually learned to correct simple answers.
“Love did not make what I did good.”
Better.
Audrey continued.
“Did you love me?”
Vivienne began crying.
“I cared about you.”
“That’s not same.”
“No.”
“Did you care when pool?”
Vivienne’s voice broke.
“Not enough.”
Audrey stared.
“That’s yes little.”
“Yes.”
Ugly.
Accurate.
Good.
Then:
“Were you scared I’d remember Mom?”
“Yes.”
“Why not just tell Dad truth?”
“Because by then I had too much to lose.”
Audrey frowned.
“House?”
“Some.”
“Money?”
“Some.”
“Dad?”
“Yes.”
“Me?”
Vivienne closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Audrey became angry.
“You almost drowned me to keep me.”
Vivienne flinched.
“I did not intend to drown you.”
Audrey’s face changed immediately.
Bad answer.
Vivienne saw it.
“I’m sorry.”
She tried again.
“I accepted a risk to you because I wanted to protect my life.”
Better.
Not softer.
The meeting ended early.
No hug.
Outside, Cassandro stood.
Natalie stayed seated.
Audrey looked at both.
“I believe her.”
Cassandro nodded.
“Do you want another meeting?”
Wrong question.
He knew immediately.
Audrey stared.
“No.”
Then:
“Not now.”
May you like
That was different.
It remained different for three years.
