Chapter 7 - Evelyn's Apology
Three days after Daniel was removed from the property, my doorbell rang at mid-morning. I checked the security camera feed on my phone before opening the door. Standing on the porch was Evelyn.
She wasn't wearing her usual immaculate pastel cardigan or designer sunglasses. Her hair was pulled back in an untidy knot, and she wore a plain gray coat that made her look ten years older than she had on Anna’s porch. In her hands, she held a large, rectangular bakery box tied with pink twine.
I cracked the door, leaving the security chain engaged. "Evelyn. You know there is a restraining order against your son. If he is anywhere near this block—"
"He isn't here, Claire," Evelyn interrupted softly. Her voice lacked all of its usual venom. She looked down at the welcome mat, unable to meet my eyes. "He’s staying on a friend's pull-out couch downtown. I haven't spoken to him since Friday night."
I hesitated, studying her posture. The haughty woman who had called me jealous and ungrateful had completely vanished.
"What do you want, Evelyn?"
"I came to return something," she said, holding up the bakery box. "And to apologize. If you'll let me."
I unlatched the chain and stepped aside, allowing her to step into the foyer. She didn't try to walk into the living room. She stood near the coat rack, her hands trembling as she set the box onto the entryway console table.
"What is that?" I asked.
"Those are the six-hundred-dollar Italian walking shoes and travel accessories Daniel had me buy on my credit card," Evelyn said, a bitter tear leaking down her cheek. "He told me he would reimburse me from the wire transfer you were sending. When the truth came out, I went to the department store to return them, but they only offered store credit. I sold them to a consignment shop downtown this morning for four hundred dollars. The cash is in that envelope on top of the box."
I looked at the white envelope resting on the cardboard lid. "Why are you giving this to me?"
"Because I was cruel to you, Claire," Evelyn whispered, pressing a tissue against her nose. "For five years, I treated you like you weren't good enough for my son. I let him convince me that you were cold, that you were selfish with money, that you didn't appreciate his sacrifices. When he told me you were refusing to help me go to Europe, I believed every poison word he poured into my ear. I was so blinded by my own vanity, so desperate to show off to my friends, that I didn't care how much it hurt you."
She looked up at me, noticing the fresh ointment and bandage on my throat. A look of genuine horror washed over her features.
"Did he do that to you?" Evelyn gasped, pointing a shaking finger at my collar. "With the tea?"
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"Yes," I said quietly. "He slammed the counter, knocked the cup over, and told me to wire the money or get out of the house. He didn't even reach for a towel to help me clean the burn."
Evelyn covered her mouth with both hands, dropping onto the hallway bench as a deep, agonizing sob broke from her chest. "My God... what did I raise? What kind of monster did I create?"
