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Summary
On the trembling endurance of family.
Series
- Part 3 of a happy trio
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Bookmark Notes:
“I don’t trust you,” Claudia says, and Papa doesn’t even flinch. Just meets her gaze head-on. Waiting for her to make her move, just like the chess matches they used to play every Christmas. Claudia doesn’t remember ever winning a single match against him. “I don’t trust either of you.”
He gives her a half-smile. “I know. We’ll be on thin ice with you for the rest of our mortal lives, I know.”
“Do you?”
It hasn’t melted yet. Spring is still a long way off. This isn’t total reconciliation but a grudgingly signed peace treaty, caving into hope and nostalgic desire for peace despite the war not even close to finished and justice not even an option properly considered.
It was unfortunate. It mattered and it didn’t matter how much or how little Papa changed. Claudia just wasn’t interested in ever forgetting the damage he had done.
She wants to tell him that she’ll send pictures of her first exhibition. That she’ll call. Maybe she’ll even FaceTime. Maybe she’ll give him her new number.
The ice hasn’t melted yet.
Claudia swallows. “Thin ice, Papa,” she says. She clears her throat before turning on her heel, walking back to the house, leaving him to sit alone in the rain next to the dilapidated toddler’s piano.
I’m destroyed