Chapter 17 - Setting Boundaries|
Thanksgiving break arrived, and the house was suddenly filled with life again. Lily dumped her duffel bag in the hallway, bringing with her the scent of cold air and the chaotic energy of a college freshman. We spent the first evening eating takeout and talking about her psychology classes, her roommate, and her terrifying economics professor.
On the second morning, while she was drinking tea at the kitchen island, I decided it was time.
"A letter arrived last week," I said, keeping my voice as neutral as possible.
Lily stopped mid-sip, her eyes immediately darting to my face. She knew exactly what I meant without me having to say the name.
"From the prison?" she asked quietly.
"Yes. It was addressed to me, to bypass the legal restrictions. I haven't opened it. I wanted to tell you before I did anything with it."
She set her mug down. Her hands were perfectly steady. She didn't panic, nor did she instinctively touch the smartwatch on her wrist. She just looked thoughtful.
"Where is it?" she asked.
"Locked in my desk drawer."
"Take it out, please."
I walked to the office, retrieved the unopened envelope, and brought it back to the kitchen. I placed it on the granite counter between us. Lily stared at her grandmother's jagged handwriting for a long minute.
"She is probably writing because she is getting older," Lily analyzed, her voice detached, sounding exactly like a psychology student diagnosing a subject. "She wants to secure some kind of legacy. She wants forgiveness because it benefits her ego, not because she feels actual remorse for what she did to Mom."
"That is a very accurate assessment," I agreed. "What do you want to do with it?"
"I don't want to read it," Lily said decisively. "And I don't want you to read it either. If she has something legal to say, she can send it through her lawyers to the trust institution."
"Should I throw it away?"
"No," Lily reached out and picked up the envelope. "Shred it. I want to watch it turn into confetti."
May you like
I pulled the heavy paper shredder from the home office. Lily plugged it in, pressed the button, and fed the unopened letter into the humming blades. We watched as Evelyn's final attempt at manipulation was sliced into tiny, illegible ribbons of paper.
"There," Lily smiled, unplugging the machine. "Boundary established."
