Paul looked at his brother.
“They shouldn’t have put her in the middle of all this.”
For once, he didn't argue.
“I know.” He looked at me. I thought if I first fixed things with Daniel, I could let you know when everything was stable.
“You can’t prepare reality before I see it.”
He nodded slowly.
“I know.”
“I could tell you when it stabilized.”
“No. You’re starting to notice.”
We don't hug.
I didn't forgive him that night.
I told Paul that I wanted him, but that I no longer trusted him the same way as that morning.
He cried.
Me too.
“No. You’re starting to notice.”
Daniel also apologized to Lily.
He didn't call it.
He said, “I made you responsible for maintaining peace among adults. That was wrong.”
She nodded, but didn't tell her nothing was wrong.
I respected her for that.
Then I told the three of them what was the only rule I cared about from now on.
I respected her for that.
“No more secrets.”
Paul looked at me.
I turned to Lily.
“And even less of you. You're sixteen. Managing our pain was never your responsibility.”
His eyes were filled again.
“I don’t want you to think I’m her.”
“No more secrets.”
My throat closed.
“No.”
“But I look like her.”
“You remind me of her, but Maggie was Maggie. You are Lily.”
I had to stop for a second before I continued.
“And if you want, I’d like to meet you like my niece.”
“But I look like her.”
She started crying.
Me too.
She asked, “Even if it’s weird?”
“It’s definitely going to be weird.”
That made her laugh through tears.
“Good.”
“Even if it’s weird?”
Things didn’t get easy by magic.
Paul slept in the guest room for several weeks and we started couples therapy. Trust came back slowly.
Daniel and Paul also began repairing their relationship, this time without asking anyone else to carry the weight of it.
Lily's notes started to rise again.
Things didn’t get easy by magic.
One morning, he left a book on my desk.
A sticky note was attached.
“Aunt Rachel, you might like this.”
I stared at those two words for a while.
Aunt Rachel.
When I got home, I showed Paul the note.
I stared at those two words for a while.
