Chapter 19 - MY THIRTY-SIXTH BIRTHDAY
I almost canceled my birthday.
Then Anna said.
“That lets last year own the date.”
Annoying.
True.
We had dinner at Lark & Pine again.
Same restaurant.
Different room.
Sonia Patel, the manager who preserved the footage, sent champagne.
I asked for sparkling water.
Trauma makes you superstitious about bubbles.
My parents came.
Separate cars.
Chloe came late.
No Julian.
Obviously.
Rachel sent a card.
That was weird.
I kept it.
Maya Reynolds came.
Anna.
Leo.
A few friends I had neglected while being married.
At dessert, Sonia asked if I wanted the same cake.
“No.”
“Good answer.”
We laughed.
Then Chloe stood.
Everyone went quiet.
She looked terrified.
“I’m not doing a speech.”
“Please don’t.”
A few people laughed.
She handed me a small box.
Inside was a copy of the garage footage drive.
I stared.
“What is this?”
“The original released copy.”
“Why?”
She swallowed.
“Because I kept thinking I wanted it destroyed.”
She looked at the table.
“Now I think you should decide.”
I closed the box.
“Thank you.”
Not forgiveness.
Not absolution.
Thank you.
Later, alone, I drove to the river.
I considered throwing it in.
Didn’t.
Evidence had saved me.
But I did not need to watch it again.
I placed it in a safe-deposit box.
Then went home.
My new apartment was smaller than the house Julian and I shared.
No guest suite.
No formal dining room.
No memory of his shoes.
Perfect.
At midnight, my phone buzzed.
A scheduled email.
From Grandma’s estate archive.
My father had set it years earlier.
A letter for my thirty-sixth birthday.
Claire,
If people ever punish you for being difficult to fool, become harder to fool.
I laughed.
Then cried.
Grandma had terrible timing.
May you like
Or excellent.
