It has been done. I have spent all night with Pamela, and her tears have exhausted me.
She was strong, of course—she told Rohan exactly why she was ending their relationship, and her composure was such that he did not interrupt her, though he wanted to. He listened to everything that she said, and he was kind and understanding despite his own pain. This, of course, made it more difficult for Pamela to say goodbye. She needed all the support that I could give her.
But it is done, and everything has changed between them.
I cannot help but doubt myself in this moment. I still remember all of the arguments that convinced Pamela that this was right, but they seem meaningless in the face of her agony. It is not just the companion of her heart that she has lost, but a friend who has supported her for years, a family in replacement of the one that has abandoned her, and the foundation on which she has set her future. Now all of that is gone. What right had I to take it away from her?
No—in the end, this was her choice. No angel can truly force a human’s will, I know that. We can only offer wisdom and comfort to influence them towards the right. And this is right for Pamela. She will heal, and she will be stronger.
I hope.