Or did you always love the memory of him more than you loved the reality of me?” There it is. The small, horrible fear she has kept locked away for so long. “I’ve always been right here. Growing up with you—it felt like starving. For everything. Your affection, your protection, your interest. I thought if I never needed anything, if I never bothered you, if I took care of us until you finished your work, you’d love me. But it didn’t work. You never saw me. You never cared.”
