“That’s fair.”
Rebecca looked toward Ethan.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He didn’t offer an excuse.
“Because I was scared you’d be angry.”
“I am angry.”
“I know.”
“But now I’m angry eleven years later.”
“Yes.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“You could’ve saved us both a lot of time.”
He nodded.
“I could have.”
She stared at him.
Then something in her expression softened.
“You idiot.”
He smiled weakly.
“Yes.”
“No, I’m serious.”
“I know.”
Rebecca almost laughed.
Margaret didn’t.
She looked devastated.
Rebecca noticed.
“Mom.”
Margaret lifted her eyes.
“I love you.”
Margaret’s mouth trembled.
“But loving you doesn’t mean pretending this was okay.”
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
“I think I’m starting to.”
Rebecca nodded.
That was enough for one evening.
The next morning, Ethan made three phone calls.
One to the estate attorney.
One to a therapist.
And one to his mother.
I overheard only part of the last conversation.
“No, Mom, I’m not asking you to solve this.”
Pause.
“No.”
Another pause.
“I’m asking you not to call me every time you’re anxious.”
He looked toward me.
“We can still talk. We can still have dinner. I’m still your son.”
Then he said something that made my chest tighten.
“Pero no puedo ser la persona que hace desaparecer cada sentimiento incómodo”.
Afterward, he sat silently on the couch.
Sofás
I joined him.
“How did she take it?”
“Better than expected.”
“That doesn’t sound enthusiastic.”
“She cried.”
“Did you want to drive over?”
– Sí.
– ¿Lo hiciste?
– No.
– ¿Por qué?
“Because crying isn’t an emergency.”
The sentence sounded rehearsed.
Sonreí.
“Therapist?”
“Rebecca.”
That made me laugh.
Over the next week, life slowly returned to normal.
Or perhaps we began building a new normal.
Margaret se reunió con el abogado inmobiliario.
Rebecca se enteró de que su interés del veinte por ciento en la casa estaba intacto.
No money had been stolen.
No signatures had been forged.
The problem was less dramatic and more human.
Her rights had been hidden behind years of avoidance.
The attorney explained that all three owners would need to agree on any major decision concerning the property.
Margaret surprised everyone.
“I want to sell.”
Rebecca looked at her.
“Are you sure?”
– Sí.
They were seated in Margaret’s living room when she told us.
Las cajas ya habían comenzado a aparecer a lo largo de una pared.
“He pasado once años tratando esta casa como la última pieza de Robert que tengo”.
She looked around.
“But Robert isn’t here.”
