Chapter 13 - Jenna’s First Apology Was About the House
Three weeks later she wrote:
I’m sorry things got ugly over the cottage.
Deleted.
At least emotionally.
Her next:
I’m sorry I slapped you.
Better.
Then:
But you humiliated me in front of Eli and the realtor.
There it was.
Still not ready.
I did not respond.
Two months later, she asked to speak.
Public café.
No Eli.
I agreed.
She looked:
tired.
Not ruined.
She still had:
job,
apartment,
friends.
Losing a spare Malibu key had not destroyed:
her life.
Important perspective.
She said:
“I’m sorry I broke Eli’s boat.”
I waited.
“I did it because I was angry at you.”
“Then why break his thing?”
She looked down.
“Because I knew it would hurt you more.”
There.
Honest.
Ugly.
Then:
“I’m sorry I called him a brat.”
I nodded.
“And I’m sorry I hit you.”
“Okay.”
She looked frustrated.
“That’s it?”
“What do you want?”
“I don’t know.”
“Forgiveness?”
“Maybe.”
“I’m not there.”
She nodded.
For once, she did not argue.
Then said:
“I really did think the cottage was partly ours.”
“I know.”
“You always called it the family place.”
“I know.”
“That doesn’t make what I did okay.”
“No.”
“But I wasn’t imagining everything.”
“No.”
That conversation mattered.
I did not need Jenna to pretend:
Daryl was perfectly clear and she became greedy from nowhere.
I needed her to acknowledge that ambiguity did not create:
ownership.
She did.
May you like
Eventually.
---
