Chapter 7 - Unearthing Old Pain
Eleanor looked up, her blue eyes sharp yet noticeably weary. "I built an empire to ensure Mark had everything. I gave up my own youth, my peace, to keep this family respected."
"And you did a remarkable job protecting his future," Amy acknowledged sincerely. "But respect doesn't have to come at the cost of empathy. You don't have to carry the whole world on your shoulders anymore, Eleanor. Mark is a strong, capable man. You can rest now."
For the first time since Amy had known her, Eleanor’s stoic posture softened. A shadow of profound sorrow passed across her face as she looked down at little Leo, who had crawled over to touch her shoe.
"When Mark was his age," Eleanor whispered softly, her voice trembling slightly, "his father was already very sick. I spent every night terrified that we would lose everything. I taught myself never to show weakness, because if I broke, everything would fall apart."
May you like
"You don't have to fight anymore," Amy said, reaching across the table to lay her hand gently over Eleanor’s.
Eleanor froze at the physical contact, staring at Amy’s hand. Slowly, instead of pulling away as she normally would, she closed her fingers around Amy's, letting out a long, quiet breath that sounded like a lifetime of holding her breath.
