Chapter 12: Facing the Echoes
A year after the arrest, Claire received a letter from the state penitentiary. It was from Ethan.
She sat at her kitchen table, looking at the envelope for a long time. Hope was crawling happily on the rug nearby, playing with wooden blocks.
Claire opened the letter. It was filled with excuses, self-pity, and pleas for forgiveness, asking if he could one day meet his daughter.
May you like
Claire didn't burn the letter in anger, nor did she cry. Instead, she folded it neatly, walked over to her desk, and placed it inside a file cabinet labeled Past.
""Forgiveness isn't letting someone back into your life to hurt you again,"" she thought to herself. ""Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past could have been any different."" She chose peace over closure.
