Chapter 21 - THE APOLOGY WITHOUT AN ASKA month later Sophie asked Ava to coffee.
Ava almost declined.
Then accepted.
They met at ordinary café in Brooklyn.
Sophie arrived first.
No gift.
No business deck.
No request.
Ava noticed.
Sophie began:
“I owe you apology that isn’t attached to anything.”
Ava waited.
“I was cruel at gate.”
“Yes.”
“I had been cruel before.”
“Not loudly enough to notice.”
“But consistently.”
Ava’s expression softened slightly.
“I liked feeling ahead of you.”
“When I thought you had less money, I felt safer.”
“When I discovered you had more, I felt humiliated.”
“Then I tried to turn your privacy into access.”
“When you refused, I gave Preston information.”
She took breath.
“That was betrayal.”
Ava did not rescue her.
“Yes.”
“I lost job because of my own behavior.”
“Not you.”
“I wanted to blame you for a while.”
“I figured.”
Sophie almost smiled.
“I’m not asking you to trust me again.”
“Good.”
“I just wanted to say I understand why you didn’t.”
Ava looked at her for long time.
Then:
“I did trust you.”
Sophie’s face broke slightly.
“That’s worse.”
“Yes.”
Silence.
Sophie wiped eye.
“I’m sorry.”
Ava nodded.
“Thank you.”
No hug.
No instant friendship.
They drank coffee.
Talked about Sophie’s company.
Ava asked hard questions.
Sophie answered without asking introductions.
At end, Ava said:
“I’m glad you built something.”
Sophie smiled.
“Me too.”
They left separately.
Forgiveness had begun.
May you like
Trust had not.
That was honest.
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