PART 25
Daniel returned to the country after his attempted departure failed.
His passport situation and the investigation were matters for
authorities and counsel.
He did not return to our house.
A temporary arrangement kept contact controlled.
His messages changed tone.
First angry.
Then pleading.
Then nostalgic.
Remember Florence?
Remember our first apartment?
Remember when I stayed beside you after your surgery?
Every memory became currency.
PART 26
Then came the apology.
I made mistakes.
I got scared.
I felt like I had no place in your world.
Your mother never respected me.
You always had the power.
Chloe understood what it was like to feel invisible.
I read it twice.
Not once did he write:
I forged your signature.
I took your property.
I tried to leave while you were unconscious.
PART 27
The tea results eventually came back through proper testing.
The sample contained a sedating medication that had not been prescribed
