She understood.

Walter reacted differently.

He asked to apologize to Lauren.

She said no.

Walter accepted the refusal without pushing.

For me, that small difference ended up separating my uncle from my mother: one was beginning to understand that asking for forgiveness didn’t oblige the other person to grant access, while Constance still confused family with property.

PART 8

Blair deserved more than a footnote in the story of my sudden transformation.