She’s asleep. You can sleep too.
He stared at those six words for several minutes.
They were not forgiveness.
But they were trust in its smallest possible form.
Madison called only once during that period.
Mark answered while sitting in his car outside Claire’s home.
“I’m moving,” she said.
“Where?”
“Chicago.”
He was surprised.
“When?”
“Next month.”
She paused.
“I accepted the position my company offered.”
“That’s good.”
“I think so.”
They were silent.
Then Madison said, “I owe Emily an apology.”
Mark looked toward Claire’s front window.
“No.”
“No?”
“You owe her distance.”
Madison exhaled.
“Fair.”
Mark hesitated.
“I blamed you for making things complicated.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t.”
“No.”
“I did.”
Madison was quiet.
Then she said something he did not expect.
“I think we both liked remembering who we were at twenty-three.”
Mark smiled faintly.
“Twenty-three-year-old me had terrible hair.”
“It was awful.”
