Chapter 10 - Daniel’s apology to Lucas had to include the truth about himself
Daniel apologized to Lucas before he apologized to Judith.
Not for the slap.
For something larger.
They sat together in the small rental villa where Daniel and Rachel stayed after leaving the resort.
Lucas had refused to sleep alone the first two nights.
On the third evening, he finally agreed to his own room if the door stayed open.
Daniel sat on the edge of the bed.
“I need to tell you something.”
Lucas looked nervous.
“You’re not in trouble.”
That alone relaxed him.
Daniel continued.
“When Grandma said things about you not really being my son, I didn’t know she was saying them.”
Lucas nodded.
“But there were other things she said around me that should have told me she thought that way.”
Lucas stared at him.
“And I didn’t stop it strongly enough.”
“Why?”
Daniel took a breath.
“Because I thought ignoring her would make the problem smaller.”
“Did it?”
“No.”
Lucas almost smiled.
Then Daniel said the harder part.
“When I saw you after the pool, I got so angry that I hit Grandma.”
Lucas nodded.
“She deserved it.”
Daniel understood why an eight-year-old thought that.
He did not agree.
“What she did was wrong.”
“She pushed me.”
“Yes.”
“But you shouldn’t have hit her?”
“Not after you were already safe.”
Lucas frowned.
“Why?”
“Because I want you to know the difference between stopping someone from hurting you and hurting them because you’re angry.”
Lucas thought.
“What if you’re super angry?”
“You still have choices.”
“What if somebody pushes your kid in a pool?”
Daniel almost laughed despite himself.
“Apparently that is an extremely difficult time to remember you have choices.”
Lucas smiled faintly.
Then Daniel grew serious.
“But I still did.”
That mattered.
He did not want Lucas learning that family loyalty meant violence became moral when performed by the right person.
Judith had already taught him too many warped rules about belonging.
Daniel would not replace them with another.
Before leaving the room, Lucas asked:
“Are you my real dad?”
Daniel paused at the doorway.
“Yes.”
“Even though Mark made me?”
Daniel walked back.
“Mark is your biological father. He matters. He always will.”
Lucas waited.
“And me?”
“I’m the father raising you.”
“Which one is real?”
Daniel smiled sadly.
“Both relationships are real in different ways.”
Lucas considered that.
Then pulled up his blanket.
“Okay.”
May you like
For the first time in months, the answer was allowed to be simple.
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