Too Late to Undo It
Chapter 11 - Too Late to Undo It
No one believed her.
Especially Thomas.
Margaret told them that three years after Ethan was born, Thomas had suffered a serious car accident.
For several hours, doctors were uncertain whether he would survive.
Watching her son unconscious in the hospital had broken something inside Margaret.
She finally understood what she had taken from him.
She hired an investigator to find Lily.
The investigator succeeded.
Margaret traveled to Lily's apartment.
But when she arrived, she saw Lily through the window.
Lily was laughing with three-year-old Ethan.
They looked happy.
Margaret lost her courage.
“I thought appearing again would only reopen everything.”
Thomas stared at his mother.
“So once again, you made the decision for everyone.”
Margaret lowered her head.
“Yes.”
“You saw my son.”
“Yes.”
“You knew where he was.”
“Yes.”
Thomas stepped away as though the room had become too small.
Ethan remained strangely calm.
“Did my mother ever see you?”
“No.”
“Did you ever send money?”
“I tried.”
“She returned it.”
Margaret nodded.
“Every time.”
That sounded like Lily.
Marisol folded her arms.
“You don't get forgiveness because you felt guilty.”
“I know.”
For once, Margaret did not argue.
She reached into a drawer.
Inside was a stack of photographs.
Ethan growing up.
School pictures.
Baseball games.
Graduation.
Margaret had followed his life from a distance.
Ethan stared at them.
His face hardened.
“You watched us struggle.”
Margaret began crying.
“You knew my mother worked double shifts. You knew she was sick.”
“I offered help.”
“You offered money without truth.”
Ethan pushed the photographs away.
“We needed family.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
Ethan stood.
“I don't hate you.”
Everyone looked at him.
“That would require you to matter more to me than my mother did.”
He walked out.
Thomas followed.
But outside, Ethan stopped beside the parking lot.
His phone had several missed calls.
All from the hospital in the town where Lily had died.
He called back.
A nurse answered.
They had found something among Lily's unclaimed belongings.
May you like
Something addressed to Ethan.
And according to the nurse, it had to be collected in person.
