Chapter 13 - WHEN LUKE AND VIOLET BECAME TEENAGERS, THEY STOPPED ASKING WHO WAS TO BLAME AND STARTED ASKING WHAT THEY SHOULD LEARN
Teenagers are cruelly efficient.
At fourteen, Violet said:
“So basically all adults made terrible decisions.”
Cassandra laughed.
“Some more than others.”
Luke:
“Grandma Evelyn worst.”
Damon:
“Probably.”
“Dad second.”
Damon sighed.
“Thanks.”
Luke continued:
“For not calling Mom back.”
“Yes.”
“And believing photos.”
“Yes.”
“Mom?”
Cassandra raised eyebrow.
“I made decisions based on false information.”
Violet:
“But did you ever think Dad’s letter might fake?”
“Yes.”
“Why not investigate?”
That hurt.
Cassandra answered honestly.
“I was scared.”
“Also proud.”
Damon looked.
She glared.
“True.”
Twins absorbed.
Not hero/villain.
Responsibility.
Violet had first boyfriend at sixteen.
He wanted location sharing constantly.
Cassandra noticed.
Asked:
“Do you want that?”
Violet shrugged.
“He gets anxious.”
Cassandra’s chest tightened.
But she did not command.
“Does his anxiety become your obligation?”
Violet frowned.
Later turned sharing off.
Boyfriend angry.
She ended.
Damon wanted to “talk” to him.
Cassandra said no.
“Why?”
“Because our daughter handled.”
He complained.
Growth lifelong.
Luke at seventeen lied about party.
Damon grounded.
Luke yelled:
“You’re controlling!”
Damon froze.
Word loaded.
Cassandra intervened later:
“Parent rules aren’t same as Grandma hiding children.”
Luke rolled eyes.
Boundaries need nuance.
Damon thanked.
They co-parented.
Money more complex.
Trust funds accessible at certain ages with independent education.
Cassandra insisted twins understand privilege.
Summer jobs.
Not performative hardship.
Luke worked youth engineering camp.
Violet museum.
Damon paid fair? Employers independent.
No nepotistic inflated.
Evelyn loved giving.
Asked.
Sometimes no.
Accepted.
At eighteen twins asked to see original settlement.
Cassandra hesitated.
Then yes.
They read.
Two million.
Cold language.
Luke:
“Mom, why didn’t you take it?”
Cassandra surprised.
“I thought you’d be proud.”
“Money useful.”
She laughed.
“Yes.”
Then explained.
It was not help.
Conditions aimed removal.
She could have signed maybe financial easier but truth constrained.
Violet:
“Would you make same?”
“I don’t know.”
Honest.
“I’m glad I refused.”
“But I don’t think women are morally better for refusing money.”
“Sometimes taking money is survival.”
“Context.”
Luke nodded.
Damon showed filtered email.
I need you to call me.
He kept in desk.
“Why?”
“To remember being reachable isn’t same as accessible.”
Twins mocked:
“That sounds LinkedIn.”
He threw napkin.
Family.
They went college.
Luke civil engineering, not Prescott firm initially.
Violet astrophysics/art? Let's say aerospace engineering with illustration hobby.
Damon proud.
Cassandra warns:
“No recruiting.”
“I know.”
Evelyn at graduation used cane.
Cried.
Nobody mentioned old pain.
May you like
Not erased.
Just not only story.
