Chapter 7 - The Final Echo
The final sentencing hearing for Connor Fleming was quick. He received a substantial prison sentence for fraud, embezzlement, and racketeering. As he was led away, he finally looked at me, his eyes filled with a desperate, pathetic confusion.
He didn't understand how he had lost. He still thought in terms of winners and losers.
I didn't hate him anymore. Hate required energy, and I had better things to do with my time.
I left the courthouse, the air cool and crisp.
Melinda was waiting outside. She didn't approach me, but she nodded. It wasn't an apology—that would take years to earn—but it was an acknowledgment. A start.
"I'm leaving town," she said. "I'm going to start over. For him."
May you like
I looked at the baby in the carrier, his eyes wide and curious. "Good luck, Melinda."
I walked back to the hospital, where a world of patients was waiting, each with their own story, each needing my care.
