“Do you?”
Cole considered.
Then nodded.
“Thank you.”
Aaron looked surprised.
“For what?”
“For saying it before I screwed that up too.”
Aaron almost smiled.
Cole began collecting bowls.
Aaron watched.
Then:
“Dean.”
Cole stopped.
“What happens?”
“Legally?”
“Family.”
Cole set the bowl down.
“I don’t know.”
“You believe him?”
“About the theft?”
“Yes.”
“Ledger backs it.”
“About being sick?”
Cole shrugged.
“Could be.”
Aaron looked at him.
“You want to forgive him?”
“No.”
Too fast.
Cole knew.
Aaron nodded.
“Good.”
Cole almost laughed.
“Good?”
“I’m tired of people acting like illness turns everything into forgiveness.”
Cole sat again.
Aaron continued.
“He contacted me because he was scared to die guilty.”
“That’s about him.”
“Not me.”
Cole listened.
Aaron’s voice softened.
“If I forgive him someday, maybe.”
“But he doesn’t get to schedule it around his diagnosis.”
Cole nodded slowly.
“You became smarter.”
“Had a kid.”
“Same thing.”
Aaron looked toward the living room where Maya was examining old photographs.
“You should know something.”
Cole waited.
“I didn’t come back only for the ledger.”
Cole’s pulse changed.
Aaron continued.
“Maya’s been asking about you.”
“For how long?”
“Two years.”
“What did you tell her?”
“The truth.”
Cole braced.
Aaron smiled faintly.
“Most of it.”
“I told her you loved Grandma.”
“I told her you rode motorcycles.”
“I told her you were stubborn.”
“I told her we had a fight.”
Cole said:
“That’s generous.”
“I didn’t tell her about the theft accusation until Dean contacted me.”
“Why?”
Aaron looked toward his daughter.
“Because kids don’t need inherited grudges before they understand the people involved.”
Cole sat silently.
Aaron continued.
“She wanted a grandfather.”
“I told her I didn’t know if you wanted one.”
Cole looked physically hurt.
Aaron saw.
“Fair.”
“No.”
“It was fair.”
Cole looked toward Maya.
“I would’ve wanted her.”
“I know now.”
“Would’ve wanted both of you.”
Aaron swallowed.
“I didn’t know that.”
“I should’ve made sure you did.”
Silence.
Then Aaron reached into his jacket pocket.
He removed another folded piece of paper.