“I thought he was a monster too!”
“I know,” I said. “That’s the point.”
He opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
A footstep sounded behind me. Don stepped into the hall, tall and calm, one hand resting lightly on my shoulder.
My father’s face drained of color.
“Mr. Hale,” Don said evenly. “Please don’t be alarmed. I believe you’ve already heard that my appearance has… changed.”
“I… Yes… I…”
“Let me be very clear about a few things.” Don’s voice never rose, but it carried a quiet steel that made my father step back. “Your debt is forgiven. Unconditionally. I made that promise to Clara, and I will keep it. You will not be prosecuted. You will not lose your home.”
My father’s shoulders sagged with relief.
“But,” Don continued, “you will not receive another cent from me. Not a loan. Not an investment. Not a favor. And you will not, under any circumstances, ask your daughter for anything again.”
“That’s… that’s not fair,” my father stammered. “I’m her father…”
“Yes,” Don said. “And that is exactly why you should be ashamed.”
Silence. My father stared at the floor.
I stepped forward.
“Dad. I’m not going to cut you out of my life. I don’t want to be that person. But I am done being the price of your mistakes.”
His eyes were wet. “Clara… I’m sorry.”
“I know,” I said, and I meant it. “I hope you mean it. If you really do, then prove it. Get help for the gambling. Get a job. Rebuild your name honestly. And in a few years, if you’ve changed, you can meet your grandchild.”
His head jerked up. “Grandchild?”
I smiled faintly, resting my hand on my stomach, where I had not yet told even Don.
I felt my husband go perfectly still behind me.
“Clara,” he whispered.
I looked up at him. His face, that handsome, scarred, beloved face, was caught somewhere between terror and joy.
“I was going to tell you tonight,” I said, laughing through sudden tears. “Surprise.”
Don Baste, the Monster of the city, the man who had once feared no one could ever love him, lifted me off my feet and spun me around in the middle of the grand hall, laughing and crying at the same time, while my father stood watching, stunned, in the doorway.
