Chapter 16 - The Holiday Dinner
Two years after that terrible, fateful night, I hosted another massive holiday dinner in my new home.
The dining room table was beautifully set with elegant coastal decor, totally different from the heavy silver of my past.
My brother Arthur flew down from the frozen north, bringing his wonderful new wife and my nephews.
The room was filled with genuine, warm laughter, the clinking of wine glasses, and entirely peaceful energy.
There was no underlying tension, no anxiety about someone ruining the evening, and no toxic drama.
Arthur stood up at the head of the table and raised his crystal glass for a toast.
"To Margaret," Arthur said, smiling warmly at me across the beautiful feast.
"A woman who proved that it is never too late to demand exactly what you deserve out of life."
Everyone raised their glasses, completely agreeing with his heartfelt sentiment.
I smiled, feeling a deep, profound sense of absolute gratitude wash over my entire soul.
I thought about the woman I used to be—a terrified, enabling mother who accepted abuse just to keep the peace.
That woman died the exact second Clara's hand struck her face in the old dining room.
The woman sitting here today was entirely unbreakable, fiercely independent, and completely happy.
I raised my glass, the crystal catching the warm, beautiful light of the chandelier.
May you like
"To peace," I said simply, taking a satisfying sip of the excellent wine.
And for the very first time in my entire life, I truly, completely meant it.
