She also admitted that she had told people David was keeping the girls away from her because it was easier than admitting she had chosen not to return.
Chloe shared the message with her sisters.
None of them replied immediately.
They needed time.
A month later, Elena wrote again. This time, she asked whether the girls would be willing to meet her for lunch.
Stella declined.
Charlotte said she was not ready.
Violet agreed to consider it in the future.
Evelyn sent a short reply saying that she appreciated the honesty but needed to see consistent change before trusting her mother.
Maya did not respond.
Chloe eventually agreed to a brief meeting in a public café, with the understanding that she would leave whenever she wanted.
It was not a reunion.
It was a beginning, and even that beginning came with boundaries.
I did not interfere.
I had spent fifteen years trying to make room for Elena to return. Now the girls were old enough to decide whether they wanted that room to remain open.
