She took my hand.
“I don’t want you to feel that you have to earn your place in our family.”
I squeezed her fingers.
“And I don’t want you to think you have to be a perfect daughter. We both need room to make mistakes.”
Claire leaned her head against my shoulder.
That small gesture moved me more than any grand promise could have.
I didn’t need her to swear that she would never disappoint me again.
I simply needed her to see me.
And for the first time in a very long time, I felt that she did.
The Day I Finally Played in the Water
The following morning, we went downstairs for breakfast.
Claire ordered two coffees and two croissants.
She had chosen a table near the window, overlooking the street.
“I thought you’d like this spot,” she said.
“It’s lovely.”
She smiled.
“Today, you get to choose what we do. Anything you want.”
