Chapter 16
Mason’s mother tried to contact him from prison.
Eric asked him with a therapist present if he wanted the letters.
Mason said no.
Then he looked guilty.
Dr. Lane said, “No is an answer, not a cruelty.”
Mason repeated it.
“No is an answer.”
Lily wrote it on a sticky note and put it on the fridge.
That became our house motto for a while.
Vanessa later sent a letter to Lily through a cousin.
The cousin claimed she did not know.
Nora did not care.
The judge extended the no-contact order.
Lily asked to know what the letter said.
I read it first.
Vanessa blamed me.
Blamed Mason.
Called herself misunderstood.
I summarized gently.
“She is not taking responsibility.”
Lily nodded.
“Then trash.”
We shredded it together.
Not dramatically.
No fire.
Just paper into strips.
Lily smiled.
“Looks like noodles.”
We laughed.
Healing can be strange.
A shredded lie can become a joke if it loses its teeth.
That night, Lily slept without checking the snack drawer.
Mason slept over and did not wake from nightmares.
Eric and I sat on the porch.
He said, “They’re going to be okay.”
May you like
I looked through the window at the children.
“Yes,” I said. “And so are we.”
