Chapter 24 - THE DECISION TO FLY
Clara sat at her executive desk for two hours, staring at the French letter as snow fell quietly outside her office window.
The emotional storm inside her chest raged between decades of bitter resentment and a sudden, painful desire for closure.
Ethan walked into her office at five o'clock, carrying two coats and noticing the open letter on her desk.
Clara handed him the letter without speaking a word, watching his eyes scan the delicate French script carefully.
"Are you going to Paris, Clara?" Ethan asked gently, placing the letter back onto the mahogany desk surface.
"I don't know, Ethan... she abandoned me for twenty-six years," Clara answered, her voice cracking with emotional strain.
"She gave you the weapons you needed to destroy Eleanor, Clara," Ethan pointed out with quiet, thoughtful wisdom.
"If she is truly dying, going to Paris isn't about forgiving her... it's about giving yourself complete peace," Ethan added.
Clara looked at him, realizing that his wisdom was the compass she had needed her entire adult life.
"Will you come with me?" Clara asked, reaching out to take his hand across the desk.
May you like
"I will follow you anywhere in the world, Clara... always," Ethan answered, holding her hand tightly.
***
