Chapter 14 - The Last Chance to Tell It Straight
They met at Grant’s attorney’s conference room.
Not because Delaney threatened legal action.
Because neutral ground seemed wiser than the house where they had hurt one another.
Marissa arrived first.
No satin blouse.
No careful makeup.
Just dark jeans, a gray sweater, and exhaustion.
Grant sat across from her.
Delaney remained at the end of the table.
Marissa placed a typed inventory in front of Delaney.
It listed Elise’s belongings she had discarded, donated, relocated, or packed.
Most could be recovered.
Some could not.
One ceramic vase had broken during renovation.
Several clothing donations had already been distributed.
Delaney’s jaw tightened when she reached the final item.
Three framed photographs — discarded.
“Which ones?”
Marissa told her.
Delaney looked down.
One had been Elise holding Delaney as a newborn.
Marissa whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Delaney did not rescue her from the discomfort.
“Why those?”
“Because Grant kept them on his side of the closet.”
Grant closed his eyes.
Marissa continued.
“I would open the door every morning and see his life before me.”
“That was his problem,” Delaney said.
“Yes.”
“You made it mine.”
“Yes.”
Grant leaned forward.
“I should’ve taken them down if they were hurting you.”
Marissa shook her head.
“No. You should’ve told me I wasn’t entitled to destroy them.”
Grant fell silent.
The attorney had advised that whether Grant and Marissa reconciled, separated temporarily, or pursued divorce would take time.
There was no instant ending available.
But Grant had already separated their discretionary spending and halted the renovations.
Marissa had agreed to reimburse the household account for the unnecessary purchases she had made after Grant warned her about the firm’s cash-flow problem.
She had also agreed not to return to the house until Grant invited her back.
Then Grant did something Delaney had never seen him do.
He did not try to solve the room.
“I hit you,” he said to Marissa. “I’m sorry.”
She looked at him.
“I hurt Delaney.”
“That doesn’t make what I did acceptable.”
“No.”
He nodded.
“No.”
Marissa looked at Delaney.
“I can apologize for the portrait. For grabbing your hair. For trying to erase Elise.”
Her voice tightened.
“But I can’t promise I’ll ever be comfortable living in a house filled with her.”
Delaney answered calmly.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t live there.”
Grant looked at Marissa.
Marissa looked back.
For years, someone would have softened that sentence.
Nobody did.
Marissa removed her wedding ring.
She placed it beside her hand rather than handing it to Grant.
“I don’t know if this marriage survives me telling the truth.”
Grant stared at the ring.
May you like
“It shouldn’t survive another lie.”
For the first time, Delaney believed him.
