Chapter 25 - BELLA AND CONNOR AS ADULTS
Bella became a pediatric occupational therapist.
I worried she chose the field from guilt.
She said:
“Maybe guilt introduced me. I still chose it.”
Fair.
Connor became a software engineer.
Nothing to do with law enforcement.
He hated being called a whistleblower.
At Grace’s twenty-eighth birthday, all three cousins sat together.
No adults orchestrating reconciliation.
Sabrina attended later for dessert.
Diane did not; her health had declined and Grace’s relationship remained mostly letters.
Bella brought no gift involving hair.
Connor brought a ridiculous board game.
Grace won.
Connor accused cheating.
For one second, all three went quiet.
Old family instinct.
Then Grace said:
“I am rich enough to buy better cheating.”
They laughed.
Money had become joke material without becoming identity.
Diane died the following year.
Grace attended the funeral.
Her choice.
She did not speak.
Sabrina gave the eulogy.
She mentioned Diane’s community volunteer work.
Her love of gardening.
Her failures.
Not criminal details from the pulpit.
No sainthood.
No erasure.
Grace placed one white flower near the casket.
Then left.
She told me later:
“I loved parts of her.”
“Yes.”
“I hated parts.”
“Yes.”
May you like
“I don’t need to solve that.”
No.
