Mark looked down.
Emily watched his jaw tighten.
Daniel went on.
Thomas explained that the money in the trust had come from the sale of a small commercial property inherited from his own father.
He had not wanted Mark to receive it while he was young.
Not because he thought his son irresponsible.
Because he feared money might allow Mark to run from the very things Thomas had spent a lifetime learning to face.
Then came the passage that silenced the room.
Your father may someday tell you I was a good man. If he does, remember that good people can still make selfish choices. I nearly lost my family because I confused discomfort with unhappiness and responsibility with imprisonment.
Margaret lowered her eyes.
I hope your father learns earlier than I did that love is mostly made of ordinary arrivals. Coming home when you said you would. Answering when someone needs you. Remembering the small things. Staying in the room when leaving would be easier.
