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Please understand that my decision to distance myself from you is not an act of revenge, but a conscious, deliberate choice to protect myself and my future family.
I do love you, Dad, regardless of the pain you’ve caused me, but it’s not enough to mend what you’ve broken.
At the very least, I hope you learn that, of all the things we can live without, love is the least expendable.
Logan
Sealing the letter inside a plain white envelope, I hand it off to the receptionist with instructions to give it to my father, then exit the lobby of his office.
As soon as my shoes hit the pavement outside, Javier is there to greet me. “Sir. How are you feeling?”
His smile is cautiously optimistic as I approach the SUV.
I glance back at the massive glass tower housing the Elite Properties headquarters. “All right, all things considered.”
“Very good, sir.” He opens the door before gesturing for me to have a seat. “Shall we?”
“Ida will have both our asses if we’re late to a meeting I specifically called for.”
“Then let’s not keep her waiting,” he says, grinning beneath his twitching mustache.
After sliding into the back, I pat the breast pocket of my suit, double checking that the documents I picked up from the bank this morning haven’t miraculously disappeared.
I close my eyes, feeling the adrenaline wane as I decompress from the anxiety of disassociating with my father.
Penelope has coaxed me through every tumultuous emotion I’ve experienced since making my decision. I’ve been angry; god, I’ve been so fucking angry. But at the core of my grief, I find the picture of me and Dad at my grandmother’s house. The one where I’m racing toward him and he’s there, eager for me to fall into his arms.
I’ve grappled with denial and acceptance, each tasting bitter on my tongue like a pill I can’t swallow.
A sob violently wracks my chest, and the harder I fight it, the more it tries to escape. I hold my hand over my mouth as a wave of heartache sweeps through my body, knocking the ground out from under me.
In the privacy of the backseat, I allow myself to finally let go. Hot tears roll down the sides of my cheeks and neck, knowing I may never speak to him again. Knowing I’ve annexed myself, not just from him but likely from my mother, too, the safety net my parents had created for me, and a business I’ve worked tirelessly to build.
I’m free falling and it’s terrifying. There’s no differentiating up from down, or how long I’ll be tumbling, but at the very least, I know Penelope will be there when I land, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
It’s been one week since Dorthea and Ricardo gave the bank the money they were after. Patrick gave us the loan we needed to outbid my father for the other residential properties, and while a part of me wishes I could have seen the shock on his face when they denied his contract, we were busy pitching our ideas to Ellen and solidifying a partnership with someone who shares our same interests for the development.
We make the long trek back to Keerah, and another twenty minutes to Honey Hollow, where me, Penelope, and Ida will discuss our next move.
When we arrive, Ida’s the first to meet me.
She barely gives me a second to close the car door before her arms wind around my middle. “I’m proud of you,” she says, taking the arm I offer her when we part. “Took real guts to do what you did.”
I absorb the warmth she openly gives. “I feel like an idiot for not seeing it sooner.”
We walk up the stone steps to the courtyard in the center of the condominium complex, where I find Penelope commanding a small army of children to attack a vicious lava monster—also known as Declan.
Their laughter threatens the tears I thought I’d parted with on the drive here, and I force my gaze to the bright Topican sky, choking them back.
“You’re not an idiot for trying to do right by someone, even if they didn’t deserve it.”
“Yeah, and it almost cost me everything.”
“But it didn’t, did it?” Ida smirks when Pen jumps on Declan’s back, kicking him like she would spur a horse, and the kids cling to his legs, taking them both down.
My chest grows uncomfortably tight when I seek her wisdom. “How long will it hurt?”
Ida’s eyes shimmer, faded blue and wrinkled around their corners. “Baby, I’m seventy years old, and I still struggle with the hurts from my past. The key is to not let them keep a hold on you.”
