That night, after Toby slept, Elise asked the question she had been circling. "If Natalie had lived — if she had left Greg — would you have told me then?"
Daniel did not answer quickly. "I want to say yes. The honest answer is that I don't know. She might have asked for more time. I might have given it. That uncertainty is part of what I have to live with."
Elise nodded, accepting the ugly answer as a form of respect. "If Mara wants to meet us, I will go. If she wants only records, we send records. If she wants nothing, we honor nothing. What I will not do is let guilt turn us into people who force a reunion for our own closure."
"Agreed."
"And Greg?"
Daniel's jaw tightened. "The letters to Mom and Dad — Natalie wanted them to know she was leaving, not why in every detail. I think we give those letters to my parents with context. As for Greg, the attorney can advise. I'm done managing his reputation."
"Good," Elise said. "I am not done being angry at him. Or at you. Anger can share a calendar with love. People forget that."
"I won't forget."