Emma nodded.
“Then I don't want to discuss him any further.”
They continued talking about Helena's visit to Michael many years earlier.
Helena described arriving at the house after arguing with her husband.
She remembered Michael standing at the door, refusing to let the conversation become another opportunity to pressure Emma.
“He was very protective of you,” Helena said.
“He had to be.”
“Yes.”
“He didn't trust you.”
“He had every reason not to.”
Helena looked down at her cup.
“I remember telling him I wanted to meet Sophie. He told me that wanting something did not mean I had earned the right to it.”
Emma recognized her father's directness.
“He would say that.”
Helena smiled sadly.
“He said that if I truly cared about you both, I would respect your boundaries.”
“And did you?”
“I stayed away. But I also used that distance as an excuse not to face my own responsibility.”
