Claire and Alexandra at the Water
Chapter 19 - Claire and Alexandra at the Water
Claire returned to the estate for the first time during a safety conference.
She and Alexandra stood near the pool after the sessions ended.
“You used Victoria,” Claire said.
“Yes.”
“You could have warned her differently.”
“Yes.”
“Would you still do it?”
Alexandra looked at the water.
“I would stop the transfer. I would not assume destroying her was acceptable collateral.”
Claire accepted the distinction without calling it redemption.
She asked why Alexandra wore black to the wedding.
“I believed I was attending the funeral of whatever remained between me and Mason.”
“Was I part of that?”
“You were the reason I kept going.”
Claire’s expression tightened.
“I don’t want to be anyone’s reason for everything.”
Alexandra understood.
Children, even adult children, could become burdens when parents made sacrifice their identity.
May you like
They walked away from the pool separately and met later for dinner.
Love did not require constant symbolic unity.
