Chapter 12 - Hannah Meets Family Without Secrets
On Hannah’s first birthday after learning Samuel’s identity, she invited
Laura, David, and Natalie.
Margaret did not assume she was welcome.
Three days before the party, Hannah called her.
“You can come.”
“Are you sure?”
“No.”
Margaret almost laughed.
Hannah continued.
“But I want to see what happens if we stop pretending people are either
forgiven or banished forever.”
Margaret brought one gift.
Samuel’s wedding ring.
“I kept it because I loved him once,” she said. “And because I was angry
with him.”
Hannah accepted it.
They did not hug.
That was okay.
Later Hannah asked whether Robert had known about her.
Margaret answered yes.
Robert had hired investigators twice trying to find Catherine and
Hannah.
He failed.
Margaret discovered his letters after his death eleven years earlier.
“Why didn’t you tell me then?”
Margaret did not hide.
“I was still afraid.”
Robert’s final letter said:
IF I FIND CATHERINE, I WILL TELL HER THE TRUTH ABOUT SAMUEL AND ELEANOR.
MARGARET MAY NEVER FORGIVE ME, BUT THIS CANNOT REMAIN BURIED.
Hannah read it twice.
Robert had tried.
Too late.
Imperfectly.
But he had tried.
Her family history was no longer a clean story with heroes and villains.
It was a collection of people making choices under pressure.
Some brave.
May you like
Some cowardly.
Some both.
