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Dan couldn’t believe his bad luck. After all he’d been through these past few days—this had to be the worst. Ben and Maria and Christina left on an earlier flight while he stayed behind to clear up some of the details with law enforcement and file the necessary court documents to make sure David remained free. But now he was finally finished, boarding a full flight on a redeye back to Florida—
And he got the middle seat.
Life just sucks sometimes.
Worse, the man sitting beside him in the coveted window seat had a laptop and was banging away at the keys, which not only made noise but sent his elbow constantly flying into Dan’s arm. He was a little guy, short and thin, bald with patches of gray on both sides.
Dan tolerated it as long as he could before he spoke. “Are you...going to be typing the whole time?”
The man did not look up. “Probably. Got to finish my chapter. If I don’t do it now, I’ll have to do it when I arrive. And I’d rather spend that time with my family.”
“Chapter? You writing a book?”
“Yup. I make up stories. Have for a long time.”
“Any lawyers in those stories?”
“Constantly.”
“Are they all rule-breaking mavericks? Amoral narcissists? Alcoholics whose personal problems interfere with their cases?”
“No. I let other people write those stories. I like characters who do the right thing because they care about others.”
“So this is fiction?”
The man just smiled.
“Let me tell you, I’ve just been through a case that would make a terrific book.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“Most of the time, I had no idea what was going on. My rep was ruined, my girl was gone—I wasn’t in control of my own life.”
The man kept typing. “Everyone feels that way at times. Like someone else is writing their story and they didn’t even get to revise the rough draft.”
Dan laughed. “I suppose.” He tried to read the words on the laptop screen, but the typeface was too small. “Almost finished?”
“Writing the denouement.”
“Heart-rending indictment of the American Way? Cold objectivity disdaining sentimentality? Huge bloodbath to prove how gritty and realistic your story is?”
The man shook his head. “Never.”
“Don’t want a Pulitzer?”
The man paused for a monent, then leaned back into the seat. “When I was younger, I had this cat. Percy. Short for Percival. God, I loved that cat. I don’t think I’d ever felt love like that before.”
“I notice you’re using the past tense. What happened?”
The man’s eyes became distant. “What always happens. Everything that lives eventually dies.” He swallowed, then averted his eyes. “I was destroyed. I mean, destroyed. And I couldn’t talk about it to anyone. I mean, he was just a cat, right? But to me—he was so much more. That was the worst pain I’d ever experienced. Couldn’t shake it off. Still hits me, some days.” He looked up and offered a wobbly smile. “I wouldn’t inflict that kind of pain on anyone. Real or fictional.”
“So...happy endings?”
“Always. No dead ends. Or no-win scenarios. The future always holds incredible promise.”
“Not the worst rule.”
“It works for me. At least for now. We all have to reconsider our decisions as we progress through life.” He returned his attention to the laptop. “Who knows? Maybe it’s time for you to do some reconsidering yourself.”
* * *
By the time Dan arrived at the Snell Isle mansion in St. Petersburg—the LCL office—the party was in full force. Ben and Christina decided to spend a week with them in Florida. Maria was there with his former colleagues, Jimmy and Garrett. Dan’s sister, Dinah, sported the honors cords from her recent law school graduation. The Kool-Aid flowed freely. The music was just loud enough. Everyone seemed to be in an excellent mood.
Good, Dan thought. Maybe we can write our own happy ending.
Maria gave him a smack on the cheek. She’d been dancing with Christina. Her hair was tousled and sticking to her face on one side.
“Can we talk later? We never got to finish our conversation.”
“Of course.” Because she had a surprise for him. “Whenever you’re ready.”
She kissed him again and grinned. “Tonight will be soon enough. When we’re alone.” She ran her fingers through his hair. “You’ve come a long way since you were repping drug dealers for Friedman & Collins, lover.”
He nodded. “Because I finally fell in with the right crowd.”
Dan danced, pranced, even sang a little. As it turned out, Christina knew how to throw a party. He beamed at his sister. “Thanks for holding down the fort, sis.”
She was about his height, slim and muscular thanks to daily workouts. She had settled on pink for her current hair color.“Anything for my big bro. I had time. I’m still job hunting.”
Despite graduating Order of the Coif. “Ben is also grateful. He instructed me to tell you that anytime you want a position with the LCL, all you have to do is ask.”
“Wow. That’s...massive.”
“Take it from me. It’s the best job you could possibly have. No worries about finding clients. No fretting about financing. All your cases are worthwhile and you’ll have the resources to do right by them.”
“And he’s offering that to me? I haven’t even tried a case yet.”
“Ben has been known to go to extremes for friends.”
“That is so extra. But very kind.” She smiled. “I’ll keep it in mind. But it’s too soon. Let me try some baby cases and acquire some skills. Then we’ll see.”
He nodded. “What’s most important is that you find work that makes you happy.”
“What’s most important is that I find a way to help others. That’s what we’re here for. And you know where I learned that? From my big brother.”
Dan could only smile. If Dinah represented the future, then everything Zhang believed about America was dead wrong.
After an hour or so, Dan decided to sit for a moment. He was surprised when, barely a moment later, Ben lodged beside him.
“Great party, huh?”
“Love the music,” Dan said. “Are we actually listening to vinyl records?”
“What can I say? Herwig is vile, but he was right about that. Christina bought you and Maria a turntable and a bunch of LPs.”
“That was generous. And no occasion?”
Ben didn’t look at him. “Not yet.”
Dan paused. “Wait. Are we listening to...Harry Chapin?”
“One tune in ten. Christina allows me one song worth hearing for every nine pop songs that all sound exactly alike.”
“Does Christina throw bashes like this in Oklahoma?”
“She would. But I hate parties. Torture chambers for the socially awkward.”
Dan laughed. “You picked a good one when you hooked up with that lady.”
“As well I know.”
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about—”
“You want to get back into the courtroom. Start practicing law again.”
Dan felt as if someone had stolen the words from his mouth. “How did you know?”
“Could see it in your eyes as soon as you tore into that first witness. Actually, I could see it as soon as we entered the courthouse.”
Dan bit down on his lip. “I appreciate the faith you’ve put in me. Running the Last Chance Lawyers network has been an amazing experience. But I feel like...being in the courtroom is my highest and best use.”
“And you’re probably right. You should get back to your highest and best calling. Chart your own destiny.”
“No hard feelings?”
“None. Actually, I think I know someone who might be qualified and willing to replace you.”
“And that would be...?”
“Maria.”
Dan laughed. “Good luck with that. She’ll never give up legal work. She’s a total workaholic.”
Ben pursed his lips. “That might be...about to change.”
“Well, whatever she wants to do is fine with me. She can chart her own destiny, too. Christina had a legal career, didn’t she?”
“Till the girls came along.” He looked at Dan as if hoping to see something. “Christina has been the best part of my life, the best thing that ever happened to me. And those two girls...well, you heard what I told Crenshaw. They are my life now. Those three women are the miracle I never deserved.”
“Lucky man.”
Ben took the plunge. “You will recall, Dan, that Maria mentioned that she had a surprise for you?”
“Yeah. Sports gear, I’m thinking. Maybe a new pair of collectible Air Jordans.”
“Dan...” He took another breath, then looked at Dan sternly. “That’s not what it is.”
“How would you know?”
“I have a few more years under my belt than you do. And with age comes—”
“Bursitis?”
“No.”
“Please don’t say wisdom. That’s so cliché.”
“I was going to say, experience. Pattern recognition. Even you, the Great Observer, can be blind sometimes.”
“I’m not getting the message.”
“Did you hear Maria and Christina discussing their favorite baby names?”
“I must’ve been distracted.”
“Did you observe that Maria is not drinking wine tonight?”
“Can’t say that I did.”
“Did you notice when she ran to the bathroom in a mad rush?”
“Was that before I arrived?”
Ben grabbed Dan by the shoulders. “You’re about to be a father, you blithering idiot.”
Dan’s lips slowly parted. “I—what—how can you—”
“It’s obvious. To everyone but you. I know you love that woman. It’s time to make a commitment. Get a ring. Get a bigger house. Maria can handle most of the LCL administrative work from home. Which I think she will like once the baby arrives.”
“I—I don’t—I—I don’t know if I’m—”
“Listen up, pal. That woman is the best part of your life. I didn’t think I needed a family either. I was wrong. Your family will be the same unearned miracle for you that it was for me.”
“But I—this is—”
“Sure, go back to practicing law, but make sure you spend as much time as possible at home. And get some sensible hobbies, for God’s sake. You can’t be risking your life out in the ocean every morning. Take up stamp collecting or something.”
Dan gazed into the living room, where Maria and Christina were leading the bunny hop. “You sure about this?”
“Yup. And I’m sure about you, too.”
“We all have to reconsider our decisions as we progress through life.”
“Exactly.”
Dan’s eyes turned inward. “If I’d heard this a few weeks ago...I’m not sure how I would’ve reacted. When I grabbed you, I was feeling...mostly miserable. Maria was gone, the office was in shambles, someone was trying to kill me, and I...kinda blamed you. I was in a bad place. I was trapped in an ugly cage of my own making. But now...I don’t know if I can even explain it. I feel like I’ve been set free. I’m ready to start a new adventure.” He glanced over at Maria, who was still laughing and dancing. “Everything seems much brighter than it did before.”
Ben nodded. “No matter hard dark the night becomes, the sun always rises. Eventually. Sometimes you have to wait for it. But you should always wait for it.”