Chapter 22 - Octavia Apologizes to Juniper
Two years after the party, Octavia requested permission to send Juniper a letter.
I asked Dr. Morris.
Then Juniper.
“Do you want it?”
“What says?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Can you read first?”
“Yes.”
I did.
Octavia wrote:
Juniper,
I did not push you into the cake.
True.
But I helped create the situation where Hadley believed hurting your feelings was something I respected.
There.
I told Hadley you were too sensitive.
There.
I told you to grow thicker skin when I should have stopped repeated teasing.
There.
I compared you to Hadley.
There.
I treated your relationship with your father like something I needed to compete with.
There.
That was not your responsibility.
There.
Then:
Your father was wrong to hit me. I was wrong to use that wrong action to avoid looking at my own.
Good.
No cheap absolution.
Then:
I am sorry.
No request to meet.
Juniper listened.
“Can keep?”
“Yes.”
She put it in a drawer.
“Do you forgive?”
I regretted asking immediately.
She looked at me.
“Do I have to?”
“No.”
“Then why ask?”
Excellent question.
“I shouldn’t have.”
She nodded.
“Okay.”
Parenting by correction.
May you like
Again.
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