Chapter 19

After Clara's injuries had mostly healed, Lucas began introducing her to his circle of friends. He took her out to eat, go shopping, and watch movies. Occasionally, they went for walks and talked about work, but he never mentioned anything from five years ago. Clara noticed the shift in Lucas' behavior and couldn't help but feel on edge, afraid that one day, when he could no longer keep up the performance, they would slip back into their tense, strained relationship. One late night, just as she was about to sleep, she received a call from an unknown number. "Clara, come quickly and take Lucas home. He's drunk and causing a scene." When Clara got there, Lucas was leaning against the window, smoking one cigarette after another. His friend pulled her aside and whispered, "He's like this every year on this day. He drinks until he's completely wasted. Every time we ask why, he refuses to answer. I think this day means a lot to him. He's already thrown up once. I don't know if he's so