Chapter 34 - the apology without forgivenessMargaret wrote to Daniel from prison.
The letter was eleven pages long.
She explained her childhood, her fear of Samuel and her belief that weakness invited destruction.
She described every crime as a response to something another person had done.
At the end, she wrote:
I hope one day you understand that everything was for this family.
Daniel read the letter twice.
Then he wrote back.
You protected the name and harmed the people.
That was not for the family.
He did not tell her he forgave her.
He did not tell her he hated her.
He told her Lily was healthy and Emma was learning to trust Rose and Evelyn.
He told her the estate now helped parents recover children taken through fraudulent placements.
He told her Tessa had begun counseling in prison.
Then he wrote:
Understanding why you became this person does not require me to let you hurt us again.
Margaret never replied.
Three months later, a package arrived from the prison.
Inside was Lily’s photograph, still unopened.
Daniel considered throwing it away.
Instead, he placed it in a drawer.
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Some doors needed to remain closed.
That did not mean they had to be destroyed.
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