Chapter 7 — Rebecca Had Left Something for Claire
Michael believed that was the end of the old story.
Then Helen asked:
“Do you still have Rebecca’s green memory box?”
Michael frowned.
“Upstairs.”
“There’s something inside for Claire.”
Claire looked shocked.
“How do you know?”
Helen stared at her daughter.
“Because Rebecca showed it to me before she got sick.”
Michael brought down the box.
It contained photographs, children’s drawings, recipes, concert tickets, and small objects Rebecca had saved.
Near the bottom was an envelope.
CLAIRE.
Claire stared at Rebecca’s handwriting.
“Why didn’t anyone give me this?”
Helen answered:
“Rebecca didn’t ask me to.”
Claire looked confused.
“What?”
The envelope wasn’t a final letter.
It had been written years before Rebecca became ill.
Rebecca placed it inside her memory box after another argument with Claire.
She never mailed it.
Michael handed it over.
Claire opened it.
The letter began:
Claire, I keep hearing that Michael took me away from everybody, and I need you to understand that isn’t true.
Claire stopped reading.
Her hands trembled.
Rebecca continued:
I moved because I wanted to build my life with him.
I also wanted you in that life.
Then:
I never needed you to choose between Mom and me.
Claire wiped her eyes.
The final paragraph hurt most.
Sometimes I think you need Michael to be the villain because otherwise you have to admit neither of us knew how to come back after the wedding.
Claire lowered the page.
Nobody spoke.
Rebecca had understood the problem years before anyone else admitted it.
There had been no single villain who stole one sister from another.
There had been fear.
Pride.
Ultimatums.
Silence.
And eventually a story that became simpler than the truth.