Elena looked surprised.
“You would know better.”
“He moved to Grand Junction.”
“Teaches part-time at community college.”
“What?”
“Criminal justice.”
Elena stared.
Claire shrugged.
“Apparently people contain multitudes.”
Elena laughed.
They stood quietly.
Claire looked toward the station.
“Every time I drive through here, I remember.”
“So do I.”
“Do you think things changed?”
Elena considered.
“Some things.”
“Enough?”
“No.”
Claire nodded.
“Same.”
Not pessimism.
Accuracy.
Institutions do not graduate from human error.
They maintain.
Repair.
Fail.
Correct.
Repeat.
Claire said:
“We had a stop last month.”
“Young guy in a Ferrari.”
“Temporary plate wouldn’t return.”
Elena looked over.
“Stolen?”
“No.”
“Dealer error.”
“What happened?”
“Deputy verified VIN.”
“Called dealer.”
“Twenty minutes.”
“No tow.”
“Good.”
Claire nodded.
“Driver was furious anyway.”
“He was delayed.”
“He can be furious.”
Claire smiled.
“That’s something Daniel never understood.”
“What?”
“An innocent person doesn't owe you gratitude because your mistake ended politely.”
Elena looked toward her.
“That’s good.”
“I stole it from your father.”
“Sounds like him.”
They laughed.
Claire returned to her SUV.
Elena finished fueling.
Then drove the Mercedes toward Marcus’s house.
No siren followed.
At seventy-eight, Marcus suffered a stroke.
Mild.
Recovery slow.
Elena spent several months working remotely from Colorado.
One afternoon he sat on the porch wrapped in a blanket.
She brought coffee.
Marcus hated decaf.
Doctor insisted.
He accused Elena of betrayal.
She ignored him.
They watched sunset.
Then Marcus said:
“You know what I regret?”
Elena braced.
“Not buying Bitcoin?”
He laughed.
“No.”
“Not punching Daniel in 1999.”
“Dad.”
“I said regret.”
She shook her head.
Marcus smiled.
Then became serious.
“I regret letting that stop teach me the wrong lesson.”
“What lesson?”
“That dignity came from proving people wrong.”
Elena looked toward him.
“For years I thought winning meant the Mercedes really was mine.”
“That the lawsuit proved them wrong.”
“That I had money.”
“Documents.”
“A business.”
“Then when it happened to you, I realized none of that should have mattered.”
He looked at Elena.
“You deserved fair treatment even if the Lamborghini belonged to a friend.”
“Even if you borrowed it.”
“Even if you rented it.”
“Even if you were broke.”
Elena nodded.
Marcus continued:
“I wish I understood that younger.”
“You did understand.”
“Eventually.”
He smiled.
“Old men love eventually.”
Elena leaned her head against his shoulder.