Chapter 16 - GERTRUDE ASKED SKYLAR FOR FORGIVENESS
Gertrude did not see Skylar for almost two months.
Then she asked through the counselor.
Not through Brandon.
Not through Hailey.
Through the counselor.
Skylar could say no.
I made sure she understood that.
She thought about it for three days.
Then agreed.
The meeting lasted thirty minutes.
I waited outside.
When they finished, Gertrude came out first.
She had been crying.
She did not approach me.
That surprised me.
She simply sat across the lobby.
Skylar came out a minute later.
I stood.
“You okay?”
She nodded.
“What did Grandma say?”
“She said she was sorry.”
I waited.
“She said she made me feel like I didn’t deserve things.”
My throat tightened.
“And?”
“She said adults were supposed to protect kids, not make them feel guilty for eating.”
I looked toward Gertrude.
She stared at the floor.
“What did you say?”
Skylar shrugged.
“I said I’m still mad.”
I almost smiled.
“That’s allowed.”
“I told her I don’t want to sleep at her house.”
“That’s allowed too.”
“She said okay.”
We walked toward the door.
Then Skylar stopped.
She turned back.
“Grandma?”
Gertrude looked up.
“I might want to have lunch sometime.”
Gertrude’s face crumpled.
She nodded.
“I’d like that.”
Skylar took my hand and we left.
In the parking lot, she looked up at me.
“Did I forgive her?”
“I don’t know.”
“What if I did?”
“That’s okay.”
“What if I didn’t?”
“That’s okay too.”
She thought about that.
Then smiled.
“I like that answer.”
So did I.
A week later, Gertrude sent me an email.
Not an apology designed to get access.
A real one.
She admitted that she had resented me.
She admitted she enjoyed spending money because it made her feel important.
She admitted that Brandon used her fear of losing her son.
She also admitted she had used Brandon’s loyalty to control him.
The last line surprised me.
I taught my son that choosing me proved he loved me.
Then I punished everyone when he tried to grow beyond me.
I read that sentence twice.
I did not suddenly like Gertrude.
I did not trust her.
But for the first time, I understood where some of Brandon’s damage began.
May you like
Understanding did not erase accountability.
It simply made the picture clearer.
