Chapter 7 - THE FATHER WHO LEARNED TO WAIT
Victor wanted to fix everything immediately.
He wanted to buy Catherine a house.
Replace her clothes.
Pay every bill.
Enroll Annie in the best school.
Arrange vacations.
Give them everything they'd missed.
But Catherine refused most of it.
“Annie needs stability,” she said.
Victor nodded.
“I know.”
“She doesn't need a mansion.”
“I understand.”
“She needs you to show up.”
Victor looked at her.
“I will.”
Catherine studied him.
“Not once.”
He nodded.
“Every day.”
So Victor began showing up.
He took Annie to medical appointments.
He helped with homework.
He attended school meetings.
He learned which foods she liked.
Which stories frightened her.
Which songs helped her sleep.
He discovered she loved drawing birds.
He discovered she hated loud arguments.
He discovered she had been telling classmates her father lived on the moon.
When he asked why, Annie shrugged.
“Because the moon is far away.”
Victor nearly cried.
He didn't correct her immediately.
Instead, he said:
“I'm here now.”
Annie looked at him.
“Will you go away again?”
He took a breath.
“I'll have to travel sometimes.”
Her face fell.
“But I'll tell you where I'm going.”
She looked up.
“And when I'm coming back.”
She considered this.
“Promise?”
Victor nodded.
“Promise.”
He kept it.
Every appointment.
Every school pickup.
Every bedtime call.
He stopped sending money through intermediaries.
He arranged direct support through transparent accounts Catherine could access.
He made sure Annie's needs were met.
But he didn't use money to demand forgiveness.
One evening, Catherine watched him help Annie with a puzzle.
The little girl laughed.
Victor laughed too.
For a moment, Catherine remembered their old life.
Before Maris.
Before the lies.
Before three years of silence.
She looked away.
The memory hurt.
Later, Victor found her washing dishes.
“Can I help?”
She hesitated.
Then handed him a towel.
They worked quietly.
After several minutes, Victor said:
“I know you don't trust me.”
Catherine stared at the sink.
“No.”
He nodded.
“I understand.”
She looked at him.
“Do you?”
He took a breath.
“I believed a letter instead of asking you directly.”
Catherine's eyes filled.
He continued.
“I let my mother control how I contacted you.”
His voice broke.
“And I didn't question the money transfers enough.”
She looked down.
“I thought you hated me.”
Victor closed his eyes.
“I never did.”
She whispered:
“That's almost worse.”
He looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because it means we lost three years for nothing.”
Silence.
Victor nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Catherine wiped her eyes.
Then whispered:
“I don't know if I can forgive you.”
Victor looked at her.
“You don't have to decide.”
She stared.
He continued.
May you like
“I'll keep showing up anyway.”
For the first time, Catherine believed he might mean it.
