Chapter 13 - ELEANOR RETIRED AGAIN
After the divorce, Mom became annoying.
Not controlling.
Present.
Too present.
She called every morning.
Sent property listings I had not requested.
Asked whether I wanted her to run background checks on men I was not dating.
Finally I said:
“Mom.”
“What?”
“You can retire again.”
She looked offended.
“I am retired.”
“No. From my divorce.”
Silence.
Then she smiled.
“Fair.”
That mattered.
For months, I had needed Eleanor.
Then I needed her to stop being my protector.
We talked about Bay 6 once more.
I asked:
“Did you really think showing Marcus your old credential would scare him?”
She laughed.
“No.”
“What?”
“I opened my coat because I was reaching for my phone.”
I stared.
“You didn't flash the badge?”
“Absolutely not.”
“He saw it.”
“Yes.”
“You used it.”
“I used his assumptions.”
That was very Eleanor.
Then:
“What were you going to do?”
“Call Rebecca.”
I laughed.
All that cinematic power.
The retired federal prosecutor’s first move?
Call the divorce lawyer.
“Disappointed?”
“A little.”
“Good law is disappointing.”
Then Mom became serious.
“The credential never saved you.”
“I know.”
“You did.”
I looked at her.
“You came.”
“Yes.”
“That's not nothing.”
“No.”
She took my hand.
“But coming only mattered because eventually you stopped going back.”
That was true.
There were no federal charges.
No powerful old contacts.
No prosecutor mother crushing Marcus.
What Mom gave me was witness.
Someone who saw Bay 6 and said:
May you like
This happened.
After months of Marcus teaching me every memory could be negotiated, that was enormous.
