He laughed weakly.
Then:
“She wants me to defend her.”
“Against what?”
“She says the company is humiliating her.”
I looked at him.
“The company is requiring repayment and terminating access.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think that is unfair?”
He thought.
“No.”
“Then say that.”
“She says I’m choosing Northstar over my wife.”
There it was again.
Love converted into opposition.
I said:
“Do you agree?”
“No.”
“Then stop asking me how to answer.”
He stared.
Then nodded.
“Okay.”
He left.
The following week, I met Diane.
She had totaled her own spa visits.
Twelve treatments.
She insisted on reimbursing what had been billed under my membership.
I refused at first.
Then stopped.
Why?
Because if I refused, I would once again turn generosity into ambiguity.
We agreed she would pay the spa directly for her portion according to Valerie’s corrected invoice.
No punishment.
No interest.
No debt to me.
Diane exhaled when we finished.
“I thought you’d say no.”
“I almost did.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because I am learning that letting adults pay their own bills is not cruelty.”
She laughed.
“Motherhood is humiliating.”
“Frequently.”
Then her face softened.
“I’m sorry Paige hit you.”
“Thank you.”
“She has always had a temper.”
“That is not enough.”
“I know.”
Diane looked down.
“I think I excused too much because she was embarrassed by money growing up.”
I listened.
“My husband lost his business when Paige was fourteen.”
“We went from comfortable to counting everything.”
“She hated needing help.”
“Hated when relatives knew.”
“She became obsessed with never looking dependent.”
That explained some things.
Not all.
Diane continued.
“When she married Grant, I think she thought she had finally outrun that feeling.”
“And my ownership of Northstar reminded her she hadn’t.”
Diane looked at me.
“Yes.”
“Did she ever say that?”
“Not directly.”
“She said Grant would never be fully respected until the company was truly his.”
My stomach tightened.
There it was.
Not only greed.
Identity.
Control.
Image.
Again.
I said:
“Grant already has respect.”
“I know.”
“Paige confused inheritance with legitimacy.”
“Yes.”
