Chapter 12 - Celeste's Final Card
Celeste requested to see me before sentencing.
I almost refused.
Then curiosity won.
We met through a secured visitation setting with attorneys present.
She looked smaller without the designer armor.
“You won,” she said.
“This wasn't a game.”
“It was to Adrian.”
“No. Adrian lost too.”
She laughed.
“You still protect him.”
“I just don't need to lie about him.”
Her smile faded.
“He betrayed me. He abandoned me when I needed him. Those facts belong to him.”
I leaned forward.
“But the crimes you committed belong to you.”
For once, Celeste had no answer.
Then she tried one final weapon.
“Do you know why Adrian came to Napa?”
“I know why.”
“No. You know about me.”
I waited.
“He was considering leaving you.”
The words landed.
Not as hard as she hoped.
“Did he tell you that?”
“Yes.”
“Then that's between Adrian and me.”
“You don't care?”
“I cared enough to nearly destroy myself once.”
I stood.
“I don't anymore.”
Celeste stared.
“You think you're better than me.”
“No.”
I picked up my coat.
“I think I'm done letting you define me.”
Outside, Margaret asked whether I believed Celeste.
“Maybe.”
“You're not going to ask Adrian?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because we're divorced.”
It was astonishing how freeing that sentence had become.
I didn't need every answer.
May you like
Closure wasn't knowing every detail.
Sometimes closure was deciding the details no longer controlled you.
