PART 3: The Choice He Took Away
The thought that Sophie might carry Huntington’s disease left me terrified. Elliot explained that Greg had refused to tell her anything about the family’s medical history. He believed their daughter was too young to bear such a burden and intended to wait until she was older.
“She’s twenty years old, Claire. She deserves to know something that could affect the rest of her life.”
Elliot confessed that he had secretly booked a cabin after Greg mentioned my cruise, hoping to reveal the truth before more damage was done. He had spent several days wrestling with his decision, but watching me sit alone at dinner had finally convinced him that I deserved an explanation.
I left the dining room and hurried out onto the open deck, where I broke down beside the railing. I was furious with Greg for abandoning our marriage, furious with Elliot for delivering such crushing news, and furious with the circumstances that had carried this illness into our family.
Eventually June and Walt found me outside after the waiter told them that something upsetting had happened. They sat on either side of me while I explained everything: Greg’s diagnosis, his father’s illness and Sophie’s possible genetic risk.
June listened quietly before telling me that Walt had suffered a serious stroke six years earlier. During his recovery she had helped him eat, bathe and learn to walk again, even though relatives had urged her to consider residential care.
“Taking care of him was difficult, Claire. There were days I wanted to run away, but it was my decision, and I’d make it again.”
Her words helped me see what hurt most about Greg’s actions. He had convinced himself that leaving me was an act of love, but in doing so he had denied me the chance to decide what our marriage meant.
“Your husband is frightened, sweetheart. He loves you, but fear has made him forget that you’re allowed to choose.”
That night I lay awake remembering our twenty-two years together. I thought about our wedding vows, about Sophie’s birth, and about the countless evenings Greg had supported me while I cared for my dying mother.
I remembered how deeply that experience had marked him, and I finally understood why he feared becoming dependent on me. Still, I could not accept that his illness gave him the right to decide our future alone.
Around four in the morning I took the divorce papers out of my purse and studied his signatures. The final one was noticeably shaky, and the blank space for my name remained untouched, because I had never managed to sign them.
The next morning I went to Elliot’s cabin and asked him how Greg was coping. He said that although the disease seemed to be in its early stages, Greg was struggling emotionally and considering early retirement because of difficulties at work.
“He’s living alone, eating frozen dinners, and barely sleeping. Sometimes he calls me in the middle of the night because he’s terrified.”
Elliot also told me that Greg had driven past our house several times without finding the courage to stop. Hearing that made my decision clear, and I asked whether I could leave the cruise at its next port.
“We reach Grand Cayman tomorrow morning. There’s an afternoon flight to Miami.”
“Then I’m taking it. I need to speak to my husband.”
Elliot offered to come with me, but I explained that Greg and I needed to face each other without anyone else present. Before I left, I invited Elliot to spend Thanksgiving with our family, because I refused to let Greg lose the brother he had only just found.
I said goodbye to June and Walt, promising to stay in touch, and left the ship the following morning. After a long journey home, Lynn met me at the airport late that night.
During the drive I told her about Greg’s diagnosis and the real reason behind our separation. Lynn was heartbroken, but when she asked whether I wanted to go home, I told her to drive somewhere else.
“Take me to Greg’s apartment. I can’t let him spend another night believing he has to face this alone.”
Shortly before midnight I climbed the metal staircase above the dry cleaner and knocked on his door. When Greg finally opened it, he stared at me in disbelief, unaware that I knew the secret he had sacrificed our marriage to conceal.
“I met your brother, Greg. And now you’re going to tell me the truth.”
