Chapter 14 - THE CAR
Emma never repaired the car.
The insurance company declared it a total loss.
Months later, she went to the salvage yard to retrieve personal items.
Rachel offered to go with her.
Emma declined.
She wanted to see it once.
The passenger side was crushed.
Windshield cracked.
Airbags collapsed.
She stood there for less than five minutes.
In the glove compartment, she found Lily—no, not Lily; she had no child. Better to keep continuity. She found an old birthday card from Richard she had forgotten.
To our dependable girl.
Emma almost laughed.
Dependable.
That word had followed her all her life.
Dependable meant:
Emma will handle it.
Emma will understand.
Emma will forgive.
Emma will drive.
Emma will clean up.
Emma will not make family conflict worse.
She tore the card in half.
Then stopped.
No.
She put it back together.
The card itself had done nothing wrong.
She took it home.
May you like
Not as a wound.
As evidence of the role she no longer wanted.
