Chapter 10 - The True Family
"Wait," Kaylee called out.
Travis stopped, looking back at her with wide, surprised eyes.
Kaylee looked at her grandfather. Duane gave her a warm, proud smile, silently telling her that forgiveness was the greatest strength a person could possess. Travis had been a coward, but tonight, he had sacrificed his own freedom to save them from a monster.
Kaylee walked over to Travis. She didn't yell at him. She didn't turn him away.
Instead, she gently reached out and linked her left arm through Travis’s right arm.
Travis let out a ragged, beautiful sob, covering his mouth as tears of pure, overwhelming gratitude poured down his face. He held onto his stepdaughter's arm as if she were the most precious thing in the world.
With Duane on her right side and Travis on her left, Kaylee walked proudly toward the center of the court.
The announcer, wiping a tear from his own eye, clicked the microphone back on.
"Let's hear it for number seventeen, Kaylee Brandt, escorted by her grandfather, Duane, and her father, Travis!"
The packed gymnasium absolutely erupted. The crowd didn't just clap; they gave a standing ovation that shook the bleachers.
In the months that followed, Jodi was sentenced to fifteen years in federal prison. Because of his cooperation and Duane’s testimony on his behalf, Travis was given probation and community service. He spent every single day making up for his past mistakes, working two jobs to help replenish Kaylee's college fund.
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Kaylee went off to university, knowing that while her biological mother was a monster, she had two incredible men who would always stand by her side when the lights shone the brightest.
Do you think Travis deserved to walk with her after staying silent for so long, or did his sacrifice at the end earn him a second chance?
