Chapter 23 - MARIANNE DOESN’T WANT HER CHILDREN TO DESTROY EACH OTHERAdriana remained angry at Gavin longer than expected.
Title fixed.
Money returning.
Brenna gone.
Still.
At family dinner, Gavin made joke.
Adriana refused laugh.
Marianne noticed.
Later:
“You want punish him forever?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“He let you—”
“I know.”
“I was there.”
“He knew.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t understand.”
“You don’t have to.”
Marianne looked.
“I want consequence.”
“I also want son.”
Adriana felt betrayed.
“After everything?”
“Love is not acquittal.”
That phrase.
Marianne said:
“If I can say no to Gavin, I can also say yes when I want.”
“You cannot protect me by deciding he is forbidden forever.”
Adriana realized she had become gatekeeper.
Again.
She apologized.
Marianne invited Gavin weekly.
Sometimes not.
He accepted.
Adriana slowly rebuilt sibling relationship.
Not old.
New.
They discussed Thomas favoritism.
Gavin resentment.
Adriana absence.
She admitted:
“I liked being one who solved things.”
“It made me feel important.”
Gavin laughed sadly.
“Dad taught.”
Both.
Family healing without equal blame.
May you like
Forgery not equivalent absence.
But patterns examined.
