Chapter 15
Three years later, Lula turned ten.
Her birthday party had twelve children.
Two pizzas.
A grocery-store cake she chose herself.
And absolutely no dogs wearing jewelry.
Taryn had offered something fancier.
Lula said:
“No.”
So no meant no.
Camille sent a card through Taryn.
No gift.
No Pearl & Pine products.
Just a handwritten note wishing Lula a happy birthday.
Lula read it.
Then put it beside the other cards.
Her relationship with Camille had become limited but civil after two therapist-guided meetings.
That question was settled enough.
Doreen was different.
She had completed the custodial portion of her sentence and remained under supervision and permanent fiduciary restrictions.
Once a year, she sent Lula a letter through counsel.
No money.
No expensive gifts.
No request that Taryn deliver it.
The letters went to Lula’s therapist.
There were three now.
Lula knew.
She had never opened one.
After the birthday guests left, Taryn found her daughter sitting at the kitchen counter eating frosting directly from the cake box.
“That is socially unacceptable.”
Lula looked up.
“It’s my birthday.”
“Excellent legal argument.”
“Thank you.”
Taryn sat beside her.
Lula said:
“Grandma sent another letter?”
“Yes.”
“Did she say sorry?”
“I don’t know.”
“You didn’t read it?”
“It’s yours.”
Lula scraped frosting onto her fork.
“Do you want me to read it?”
Taryn thought carefully.
“No.”
Lula looked surprised.
“You don’t?”
“I want you to know you can.”
“That’s different.”
“Yes.”
Lula looked toward the backyard.
Three years earlier, she had stood there asking whether her birthday still belonged to her.
Now nobody had moved her gifts.
Nobody had told her where she ranked.
Nobody had turned affection into compensation.
Everything practical had been resolved.
Fairmont Crest survived under independent management.
Employees had been repaid.
Lenders received corrected reporting.
Doreen lost the authority she had manipulated everyone to preserve.
Taryn lost money too and discovered she could survive that.
Camille faced the consequences of choosing advantage over courage.
The financial cases were closed.
The family hierarchy no longer governed Taryn’s career.
Only one question remained.
Whether Lula would ever want Doreen back in her life.
Not whether Taryn forgave her.
Not whether Doreen had apologized enough.
Lula’s relationship with her grandmother belonged to Lula.
Eventually.
The girl looked at her mother.
“Can I keep the letters without reading them?”
“Yes.”
“All of them?”
“Yes.”
“What if I’m sixteen?”
“Still yes.”
“What if I’m thirty?”
Taryn smiled.
“By thirty, I’m hoping you stop asking my permission.”
Lula grinned.
Then she pointed at the last piece of birthday cake.
“Can I have that?”
Taryn looked at her.
“Whose birthday is it?”
“Mine.”
“Then you already know the answer.”
Lula took the cake.
May you like
The letters stayed sealed.
And for the first time in the Fairmont family, nobody tried to make a child’s choice for her simply because they were older, richer, or louder.
