"He made decisions for you," Marcus said quietly. Not an accusation, an observation. Yes, Clare said. How do you feel about that? She looked at him.
I don't know yet, she said. I think I think he thought he was giving me a gift. More time not to worry, she paused. But I also think I would have wanted to know. I would have wanted those months.
Her voice stayed even. Barely. I would have done things differently, Ryan said. Clare, he said it. The way men say a name when they don't have anything else and the name is all they can offer.
I'm sorry for all of it for the way I came at you. I was wrong and I I think I brought this here because I thought you deserve to be angry at someone. And at least if it was about this, you could be angry at me for finding it and not him. Clare looked at her brother-in-law for a long moment. I'm not angry at you, she said.
I'm not angry at David. What are you? Ryan said a pause. Sad, she said. Just sad.
For all the ways we protect people we love, and it still costs something. Ryan looked down at the folder. Marcus looked at Clare. She reached over without looking at him and took his hand. Ryan saw it.
He looked at their joined hands. Then he looked at Marcus with an expression that was complicated and honest and older than anything else about him. In that moment, he nodded once. Marcus nodded back. Ryan closed the folder.
There's nothing else in there that involves you. The rest is business documentation. Client lists, that kind of thing. I wanted you to know I wasn't lying about that. There really was a client list.
David did write a note about wanting me to have it. He paused. But it's your choice. It's always been your choice. I should have said that the first time.
Take it, Clare said. If it was what David wanted. Ryan looked at her. He was your brother, she said. Whatever was between us toward the end, he loved you.