Chapter 13
Elsie did not move in with Clara immediately.
Children are not evidence to be returned to the correct shelf.
For months, she remained primarily with Dominic under strict supervision and support, then transitioned to shared structured time as Clara’s safety restrictions changed and Dominic prepared for custody limitations during his sentence.
When Dominic went to prison, Elsie lived mostly with Clara in a secure but ordinary townhouse outside Chicago.
She hated it at first.
No ballroom.
No giant tree.
No staff.
No father at breakfast.
No familiar bedroom.
Clara did not pretend it was easy.
She also did not compete with Dominic.
When Elsie cried for him, Clara called the approved prison line.
When Elsie refused to open Clara’s letters, Clara left them in a box labeled:
Whenever you want.
Elsie opened the first after six weeks.
It was dated three years earlier.
My beautiful Elsie, if this reaches you late, please know late is not the same as forgotten.
Elsie threw it across the room.
Then picked it up.
That became the rhythm.
Anger.
Curiosity.
Grief.
Love.
Back to anger.
Clara accepted all of it.
Dominic called twice a week.
He never called Clara a coward to Elsie.
Clara never called Dominic a monster.
The adults had done enough damage with stories.
Now they tried facts.
At Christmas that year, Elsie asked for no big tree.
Only a small one.
With no presents underneath until morning.
Clara said yes.
Dominic heard later and said yes too.
May you like
Nobody argued tradition over a child’s nervous system.
That was progress.
