Chapter 11 - ETHAN’S LAST CALL
“Hi.”
His voice sounded different.
Less polished.
“Hi.”
“I won’t keep you.”
I almost smiled.
“Okay.”
He exhaled.
“I wanted you to know my mother’s case resolved.”
“I know.”
Of course I knew.
My company remained a creditor.
“I figured.”
Silence.
Then:
“She asked about you.”
I said nothing.
“She still blames you for some things.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“I don’t.”
That stopped me.
“I used to.”
“I know.”
“I thought you had destroyed my family.”
Another pause.
“Then I realized my family had spent years destroying itself and calling anyone who noticed disloyal.”
I looked out my apartment window.
Denver had apparently taught him something.
“How are you?”
He laughed softly.
“That’s a complicated question.”
“I have time.”
He told me about work.
He was no longer an executive.
He managed three hotels.
He reported to a woman younger than him.
The first six months had apparently been educational.
“I used to think people respected me because I was good.”
“And?”
“A lot of them respected Sterling.”
“That must have hurt.”
“It needed to.”
There was no self-pity in the answer.
That mattered.
Then he said:
“I’m sorry.”
“You already apologized.”
“I know.”
“This isn’t me asking for anything.”
I believed him.
“I’m sorry your parents had to get hurt before I understood what kind of cowardice I had been calling peace.”
My throat tightened.
“Thank you.”
Another silence.
“Do they hate me?”
“No.”
That surprised him.
“They were disappointed.”
“Worse.”
“Yes.”
He laughed once.
Then:
“I won’t call again unless you want me to.”
I thought about that.
“Ethan?”
“Yes?”
“I hope your life becomes good.”
His breath caught.
“But?”
“No but.”
And I meant it.
I wanted him to become the man he should have been.
I simply no longer needed to stand beside him while he did.
“Take care of yourself,” he said.
“You too.”
The call ended.
I sat there for several minutes.
No dramatic tears.
No urge to call back.
Just quiet.
That was how I knew something had finally healed.
May you like
Closure, I discovered, was not getting every answer.
Sometimes it was reaching the point where the unanswered questions no longer controlled the room.
