“Yes.”

Daniel never married Natalie. She moved to another state and dissolved Northstar after returning part of the disputed consulting money through the settlement.

Eleanor kept telling relatives the divorce had been unnecessary, though she stopped calling after I declined three invitations to “clear the air.”

On the second anniversary of that Thanksgiving, Daniel sent me a letter. Not a text. A letter.

Claire, I used to think the eighty-seven missed calls proved I was trying to save our marriage. Now I understand most of them were really attempts to restore the life you quietly maintained for me.

I never realized how much you carried, because you carried it without complaint. That is not an excuse. I am sorry.