Chapter 12 - A Mother’s ConfessionOne evening, Evelyn received a telephone call from an unknown number. It was Eleanor Hawthorne, Grant’s mother. The matriarch who had once looked down her nose at Evelyn’s middle-class roots sounded fragile, her voice quavering.
"Julian is unwell," Eleanor said, swallows of silence punctuating her sentences. "He won't admit it, but the shame broke him. I found your old journals in the attic... the ones you kept during the fertility treatments."
Evelyn felt a knot tighten in her throat, but remained silent.
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"I knew Grant was lying to you back then," Eleanor confessed, breaking down into quiet sobs. "I saw him meeting Cynthia at the club. And I said nothing because I wanted an heir. I sacrificed your humanity for our vanity. Can you ever forgive a coward?"
Evelyn looked out at the ocean horizon where a cargo ship slowly crossed the twilight. "I forgive you, Eleanor. Not for your peace of mind, but for mine. Please don't call this number again." She disconnected the line and let the receiver rest.
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