Chapter 10 - AUNT MARGARET
By noon, Margaret was on a video call.
Her hair was white now.
Her face looked tired but kind.
When Stallone appeared on screen, she stared at him for several seconds.
“You got old.”
Stallone almost smiled.
“So did you.”
“I had better reasons.”
He accepted the hit.
“I deserve that.”
Margaret looked at Sarah.
“Where’s Olivia?”
“With Claire.”
“Keep her away from Eleanor.”
“We are.”
Margaret leaned back.
“Good.”
Sarah asked the question everybody feared.
“What did Mom tell you?”
Margaret closed her eyes briefly.
“She called six weeks ago.”
“Why?”
“To brag.”
Nobody spoke.
“She said Olivia was stubborn. Emotional. Too attached to Stallone.”
Margaret looked toward him.
“She hated that.”
Stallone frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Olivia trusted you.”
Margaret’s voice grew quieter.
“And Eleanor has always hated loyalties she couldn’t control.”
Sarah shook her head.
“She said she wanted to mold her?”
“Yes.”
“Into what?”
Margaret laughed bitterly.
“Eleanor.”
The word hit hard.
Margaret continued.
“Our mother did the same thing.”
Stallone listened.
“She chose Eleanor because Eleanor was the oldest. Told her younger children were wild animals unless the oldest helped discipline them.”
Michael whispered, “She turned Ethan into herself.”
“Yes.”
Margaret nodded.
“That is exactly what she was doing.”
Ethan had been standing outside the room.
He entered.
“Am I bad?”
Everyone turned.
Margaret’s face softened.
“No, honey.”
“But I hit Olivia.”
“You did something wrong.”
Ethan looked down.
Margaret continued.
“That does not mean you are permanently bad.”
Ethan looked at the screen.
“Grandma said if I didn’t listen, Olivia would grow up disrespecting me.”
Margaret’s eyes filled.
“That’s what my mother told Eleanor about me.”
Stallone asked, “Why did Eleanor call you?”
“To tell me she finally understood our mother.”
Sarah whispered, “Oh, God.”
Margaret nodded.
“She said children need one frightening person in the family so they learn consequences.”
Michael stood.
“That is insane.”
“Maybe.”
Margaret looked sad.
“But to Eleanor, fear and love have been mixed together since childhood.”
Stallone said, “That explains her.”
Margaret’s eyes sharpened.
“It does not excuse her.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
Margaret looked at Sarah.
“Has Eleanor apologized?”
Sarah shook her head.
“No.”
“Then she isn’t ready to change.”
Footsteps sounded in the hall.
Eleanor appeared.
Apparently she had been listening.
Margaret went silent.
The sisters stared at each other through the screen.
Thirty-two years of anger entered the room.
Eleanor spoke first.
“Still telling stories?”
Margaret’s expression hardened.
“Still hurting children?”
Eleanor’s face twitched.
“You always were weak.”
Margaret leaned closer to the camera.
“And you always confused surviving Mother with becoming her.”
Eleanor stepped forward.
“At least I survived.”
Margaret’s voice broke.
“So did I.”
“No. You ran.”
“Yes.”
Margaret nodded.
“I ran.”
Then she said the one thing Eleanor clearly had never expected.
“And it saved my children.”
Eleanor froze.
Margaret continued.
“You stayed.”
A tear slid down her face.
“And now your children are running from you.”
Eleanor turned.
She saw Sarah.
Michael.
Claire.
Ethan.
Stallone.
Nobody moved toward her.
For the first time, she was truly alone.
Then a small voice came from behind them.
“Grandma?”
Olivia stood in the doorway.
Eleanor’s expression softened instantly.
“Come here, sweetheart.”
Olivia shook her head.
“No.”
Eleanor stared.
Olivia took Stallone’s hand.
May you like
Then she said:
“I don’t want you to teach me anymore.”
