Clara hesitated.
“No.”
Lily nodded.
Not surprised.
That broke Clara’s heart more than tears would have.
“Do you want to see him?”
“Maybe.”
“If you do, we can arrange it.”
“What if he disappears again?”
Clara could not promise he wouldn’t.
So she said:
“Then it will hurt.”
Lily stared.
“But you won’t.”
“No.”
“And Grandpa Arthur?”
From the hallway, Arthur called:
“I’m deeply difficult to remove.”
Lily smiled.
That was enough.
PART 10
Months passed.
The marriage changed quietly.
Not romantically at first.
Clara still slept in her room.
Arthur in his.
The prenup stayed exactly where it was.
Their accounts remained separate.
But habits formed.
Coffee at seven.
Chess after dinner.
Friday movies.
Lily complaining about homework.
Arthur complaining about modern music.
Clara realized she could identify his footsteps from anywhere in the house.
The irony did not escape her.
He had married her because he wanted footsteps.
Now his had become part of her definition of home.
PART 11
Arthur’s older son, Stephen, visited in March.
He had been polite during the wedding.
Cold, but polite.
This time, he asked Clara to speak privately.
“I know about the condo.”
She stared.
“How?”
“My father told me.”
“Then you also know it was his choice.”
Stephen’s jaw tightened.
“You were supposed to receive it after three years.”
“Yes.”
“You got it after eleven months.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t see how that looks?”
Clara felt the old shame rise.
Gold digger.
Opportunist.
Cleaning woman.
She forced herself to stay calm.
“What exactly are you accusing me of?”
“My father is lonely.”
“Yes.”
“He’s vulnerable.”
“No.”
“He married someone half his age.”
“Not quite half.”
“Clara.”
She leaned back.
“If your concern is his competence, challenge the transfer properly.”
Stephen stared.
“If your concern is that you dislike what he did with his property, that’s different.”
That ended the conversation.
PART 12
Arthur found out.
Stephen told him.
Arthur called immediately.
Clara heard only one side.
“No.”
Pause.
“No, Stephen.”
Longer pause.
“You do not speak to my wife as if she works for you.”
Clara closed her eyes.
Arthur continued.
“Yes, I transferred the condo.”
Pause.
“Because I wanted to.”
Another pause.
“My loneliness does not make me incompetent.”
Then Arthur hung up.
Clara walked into the study.
“You didn’t need to defend me.”
“Yes.”
“I can defend myself.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
Arthur looked at her.
“Because you’ve spent enough years doing everything alone.”
Clara turned away before he saw her eyes fill.
PART 13
By summer, Arthur’s health began declining.
Nothing catastrophic.
Shortness of breath.
Swelling.
Fatigue.
His cardiologist adjusted medication.
