Chapter 25 - the old room
Years later, Claire returned to the original presidential maternity suite at St. Catherine's.
It had been renovated.
New furniture.
New monitors.
New walls.
But she remembered.
She stood alone in the room.
For a moment, she could almost hear the alarms.
Then she heard footsteps.
Her father entered.
"You okay?"
Claire smiled.
"Yes."
He looked around.
"Strange?"
"Very."
Claire touched the edge of the bed.
"This is where I thought my life was ending."
Her father stood beside her.
"It wasn't."
"No."
She looked around.
"It was where one life ended."
He knew what she meant.
The life where she trusted Ryan.
The life where she believed being a good wife meant tolerating disrespect.
The life where she thought wealth could protect her from betrayal.
That woman was gone.
Her father asked,
"What would you tell her now?"
Claire smiled.
"I'd tell her to hold her baby."
"And?"
"Don't apologize for surviving."
Her father nodded.
May you like
Claire looked toward the window.
"And I'd tell her that one day, this room won't hurt anymore."
