Chapter 2

Before leaving Boston, I wanted to return their things.

When Jack was twelve, he shoved his first state league gold medal at me, saying he was afraid of losing it and asked me to hold onto it.

I took the medal to Chloe's new apartment to find him.

He was crouched on the floor, assembling curtains for her.

"Lower it a bit."

Chloe measured the height. "I can't reach."

Jack immediately took it apart and reassembled it.

When he saw me, he asked casually, "What are you doing here?"

I held out the medal. "Returning this."

Jack blinked. "Why? Just keep it. Why bring it back now?"

"I'm leaving soon. Figured I'd clear out anything that isn't mine."

He didn't catch my meaning. He tossed the medal into a box full of junk.

"It's not like we won't see each other again. Even if you go to California, we'll fly out to visit when we have time."

"Anyway, that's not important. I can't move Chloe's storage cabinet by myself. You can help."

I didn't move.

Chloe quickly said, "It's fine. Vivian's going to California. She must be busy packing."

Jack glanced at me.

"She's been able to pack in ten minutes since she was a kid. What's she busy with?"

"You move it yourself." I turned and left.

Chloe said quietly, "Is Vivian still mad at me?"

"Let her be. She'll come back and apologize to us eventually." Jack's tone was certain.

I went to the design studio to find Ethan and returned the wedding dress sketch he had personally designed for me.

He looked at me, surprised.

"What are you doing? Didn't I give this to you?"

"After I leave Boston, I won't need it anymore."

"Your dream since you were little was to have a one-of-a-kind wedding dress. I designed this myself. How could you not need it?"

He was about to say more when Chloe showed up, asking for help picking an outfit for the school dance.

Ethan didn't have time for me anymore. He threw out one last line.

"Are you throwing another tantrum for attention? Vivian, you're grown up now. Stop playing these childish games."

I was about to leave when Hunter appeared and blocked my path. He tossed a hard drive at me.

"Good timing. This has all the videos we've taken over the years. You're good at editing. Make Chloe an eighteenth birthday documentary."

"We'll play it at her coming-of-age ceremony."

Chloe's eyes were full of anticipation.

I found it almost funny. "But she's not in any of our childhood videos."

Chloe's face went pale.

Hunter looked at me with disapproval.

"That's exactly why we need editing. Just replace your parts with hers."

I looked down at the hard drive.

Our first time horseback riding. Our first camping trip to the Hamptons.

And every birthday the four of them spent with me.

Now they wanted to cut me out.

Let Chloe take my place and have a complete childhood.

"Take my past to fill in her regrets? I refuse."

Ethan lost his patience.

"Since you were little, you've had everyone's love. Chloe had nothing."

"She just wants a few happy memories at her coming-of-age ceremony. Don't be so selfish."

He left with Chloe, as if certain I would eventually obey.

That night, Claude came to take me on a date.

He took me to our usual old Italian restaurant, but he kept his head down, replying to messages.

Chloe said her dorm mattress was too hard. He immediately contacted a vendor to replace it.

Chloe said she was worried about getting along with new classmates.

He sent several long voice messages to comfort her. "We'll all be by your side. Don't be scared."

I took off our engagement ring and set it in front of him.

He frowned, looking helpless.

"What's wrong with you today? Still sulking about going to California alone?"

Before I could answer, Claude sighed and pushed a tiramisu toward me.

"Alright, stop throwing tantrums like when you were little."

"I'll hold onto the ring for you. On graduation day, I'll put it back on your finger."

"Don't worry. Even if you go to California, the five of us will still come visit you often."

Before, when he said "the five of us," he meant me and them.

Now, when he said "the five of us," he meant Chloe and them.

I didn't call him out. When he got busy replying to Chloe again, I turned and left.

Back home, I plugged the hard drive into my computer.

Then I transferred away every shared memory with the four of them, bit by bit.

My eighteen years shouldn't be used to decorate Chloe's life.

Before I left, this would be my last gift to them.

A clean past. Without me in it.