Durante años, había creído que ella me había necesitado, y le había fallado.
Susan extendió un sobre.
My name was written across the front.
Nada más.
Lo tomé con la mano temblorosa.
My mother had written that she knew I worried about her.
She admitted that she had deliberately hidden how weak she had become because she wanted me to keep living my life.
Then came the words that broke me.
If I ever blamed myself for not being beside her at the end, she wanted me to stop.
She had known I loved her.
She had always known.
Me agaché y lloré.
Years of guilt came out at once.
Susan touched my shoulder.
"Le dije que te culparías a ti misma", dijo en voz baja.
Miré hacia arriba.
"¿Qué?"
"Ella te conocía muy bien".
A tiny smile appeared on her face.
"Ella me dijo: 'Sam siempre piensa que el amor significa arreglar las cosas'".
A laugh escaped me through my tears.
That sounded exactly like Mom.
"She asked me to hold them until the right time."
Susan glanced around the room.
"After she died, I thought about mailing them. But years later, you moved across the street from me."
"You recognized me?"
"La primera semana".
"¿Y nunca dijiste nada?"
Susan smiled faintly.
"I wanted to give you the letters many times, but you were polite, busy, and closed off. You weren't ready."
Miré hacia abajo al paquete.
"¿Y ahora?"
"Ahora has estado sentado junto a mi cama cada noche, diciéndome cómo le fallaste".
Susan me apretó la mano.
"Necesitabas escuchar la verdad de ella, no de mí".
Then, she turned toward Greg.
"And now you understand why Sam brought me here."
Greg swallowed.
"I thought he was trying to get your house."
La expresión de Susan se endureció.
"You thought that because you were thinking about my house."
Greg went silent.
"Five years," Susan said. "Five years without a visit. Then, when you heard I was sick, suddenly everyone found my address."
Laura empezó a llorar.
"Seguí diciendo que vendría cuando el trabajo se ralentizara. Entonces me casé. Luego nos mudamos. Siempre había algo. Lo siento, abuela".
