One Thursday, the counselor asked Greg what he’d been most afraid of when he signed that paper.
He thought about it for a long time.
“That if I told Lauren the truth,” he said, “she’d realize she didn’t need me.”
The counselor looked at me.
I didn’t say anything. I just reached over and took his hand.
Then she turned to me.
“And you, Lauren? What were you most afraid of? All those years you didn’t say anything?”
I opened my mouth to say something easy. That I was tired. That I was busy. That I didn’t want to cause trouble.
What came out was different.
“That if I said no,” I said, “I’d find out it didn’t count.”
The room was very quiet.
“That I’d say, this is my house too, and they’d all look at me like I’d said something strange. And Greg would smile at his mother.” My voice shook. “And that’s exactly what happened. The one time I didn’t even have to say it. He smiled.”
