Chapter 18 - Arthur Steps Away
I turned forty-five.
For the first time since I was seventeen, nobody depended on me to make every major decision.
Lily was twenty-eight.
Board vice chair.
Claire worked with rehabilitation charities.
Meridian Group had an independent CEO.
I did something terrifying.
Nothing.
For three months.
No merger calls.
No emergency flights.
No midnight documents.
I learned to cook.
Badly.
Claire laughed.
Then one evening she asked:
“Do you ever regret Victoria?”
The obvious answer was yes.
I gave the true one.
“No.”
Claire stared.
“She hurt Lily.”
“Yes.”
“She stole seven years from me.”
“Yes.”
“She betrayed you.”
“Yes.”
“Then why no regret?”
“Because regret would require wishing away everything I learned after.”
Claire considered that.
“I’m not that evolved.”
“Neither am I.”
“I still hate her sometimes.”
“Good.”
We laughed.
Then Claire reached across the table.
“Arthur.”
“Yes?”
“I think I still love you.”
I stopped breathing.
She continued:
“But I don’t want our old life back.”
“Neither do I.”
“I don’t want to marry you because we lost time.”
“Good.”
“I want to see what happens next.”
I smiled.
“That I can do.”
May you like
Love returned without reclaiming ownership.
Appropriate.
