Chapter 16 - THE LETTER FROM LAUREN Three months later, a letter arrived.
No return address.
James placed it on the kitchen counter.
"You don't have to open it."
I stared at my name.
I knew immediately who had sent it.
Lauren.
I waited until Emma was asleep.
Then I opened it.
The letter was short.
There was no accusation.
No mention of Mom.
No attack on James.
No attempt to justify the slap.
Instead, Lauren wrote:
I finally understand that saying I was sorry wouldn't undo what I did.
I stopped reading.
My hands trembled.
Then I continued.
She wrote about leaving town.
About therapy.
About losing friends who had believed her first version of Christmas.
About realizing that she had spent years blaming everyone around her because accepting responsibility meant admitting she was the problem.
Then came the line that hurt the most.
I don't expect you to let me back into Emma's life. I only wanted you to know that I'm finally learning why you said no.
I folded the letter.
James watched me.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know."
That was the honest answer.
I didn't forgive her.
I didn't hate her.
For the first time, I simply didn't know.
And maybe that was progress too.
I placed the letter in a drawer.
Not destroyed.
Not displayed.
Just there.
May you like
A possibility.
Nothing more.
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