I didn’t answer. I had learned the power of silence.
“I know what we did was wrong. I know there’s no excuse, but I wanted you to know that. That I’ve realized everything.”
“Everything? What?”
“That you were right. That Amber manipulated me. that I lost the most important person in my life because of greed. And Amber, she left three months ago. She took everything she could and left with a man she met in the city.”
I didn’t feel satisfaction hearing that. I didn’t feel pity either. It was simply information.
“And Catherine is in a nursing home. Her own son committed her when she ran out of money.”
The irony was perfect, but I said nothing.
“Mom, I know I don’t deserve forgiveness. I know it’s probably too late. But I wanted you to know that I’ve learned that by losing you, I realized what really matters in life.”
I sat in the rocking chair, but kept my distance.
“What do you want, David?”
“Nothing. I’m not here to ask for anything. I’m just here to tell you that I love you. That I’ve always loved you, even if my actions said otherwise.”
“And what have you been doing these months?”
“Working. I work in construction now. It’s hard, but it’s honest. I sleep in a rented room, eat at cheap diners. I’m trying to understand how I became so stupid.”
For the first time in the conversation, his eyes filled with real tears. Not tears of manipulation, but of real remorse.
