Chapter 14 - Vanessa’s Apology Did Not Ask Lucy to Forgive Her
It took:
eleven months.
Her first draft, through therapist:
I’m sorry I ruined your birthday.
Too small.
Second:
I’m sorry I was jealous of the attention you received.
Better.
Still centered:
Vanessa.
The final letter said:
Lucy, I treated your wheelchair, medical needs and family trust support as reasons you were less valuable.
They were not.
Then:
I tried to find a way to prove you were not really Mark’s daughter because I wanted financial and emotional problems in our family to have a simple cause.
I chose you as that cause.
Then:
Your mother did not lie about who your father was.
More importantly, I had no right to turn your parentage into a weapon against you.
Then:
I smashed your cake because I wanted to humiliate you in front of your father.
That was cruel.
Finally:
You do not owe me forgiveness or a relationship.
That was the first apology I considered appropriate for:
Lucy.
She was eight by then.
Her therapist read it with:
her.
I waited outside.
Later Lucy came out.
“What did you think?”
She shrugged.
“She writes too much.”
I laughed.
Fair.
Then:
“Do you want to answer?”
“No.”
May you like
Done.
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