Chapter 10 - My Father Was The Reason Dana Stayed One More Day
I drove to my mother’s house without calling.
She opened the door.
Saw my face.
“Thomas showed you.”
“Lucas Miller.”
She closed her eyes.
“Come in.”
“No.”
“Jake.”
“Dad worked at the academy.”
“Not exactly.”
“Please don't do that.”
She stopped.
“Your father worked for the city’s risk management office.”
“Accountant.”
“He was an analyst.”
“Same building?”
“No.”
“Same pilot?”
“Yes.”
I stared at her.
“You met here.”
She shook her head.
“We were already married.”
That surprised me for no reason.
I had invented a whole new origin story in ten seconds.
“Why did he sign?”
“Because the city wanted someone outside training to review injury exposure and equipment costs.”
“Did he understand the technique?”
“Not physically.”
“Then why is he on the report?”
“He reviewed the pilot structure.”
“What did he say after the recruit got hurt?”
Dana looked away.
“He told me to walk.”
“From the contract.”
“Yes.”
“Did you?”
“Not immediately.”
There.
“Why?”
She hesitated.
“Because Walter asked me for one day.”
My jaw tightened.
“He wanted to save the program.”
“Yes.”
“And you stayed.”
“Yes.”
“Dad wanted you out.”
“Yes.”
“Then what?”
“Lucas got angry.”
At Walter?
“At me.”
That surprised me.
“He thought I was letting pride make decisions.”
“Was he right?”
Dana looked at me.
“Partly.”
She sat on the porch step.
I sat two steps below.
“Your father hated that academy.”
“Why?”
“Because every meeting turned the same way. Someone said the injury was unfortunate, then everybody started protecting the thing they wanted to keep.”
“Including you.”
“Yes.”
“Walter.”
“Yes.”
“Voss.”
“Yes.”
“Dad?”
Dana thought.
“Lucas wanted to protect us.”
“That's clean.”
“It wasn't.”
She looked toward the street.
“He also wanted me home more.”
My parents had been fighting about her contract before the injury.
Long hours.
Travel.
Me as a toddler.
Dad’s risk job already miserable.
“He used the accident to prove an argument he had been making for months.”
“So when he told you to quit…”
“He was concerned.”
“And?”
“He was also relieved.”
Human.
Annoying.
“What happened to his report?”
Dana’s face tightened.
“What report?”
“Don't.”
She exhaled.
“Lucas wrote a separate memo.”
“About?”
“The pilot.”
“Where is it?”
“I don't know.”
“Did Walter see it?”
“Yes.”
“Voss?”
“Yes.”
“Reed?”
“No.”
That mattered.
“What did it say?”
Dana looked at me.
“Ask Walter.”
I laughed.
“Of course.”
“No, Jake.”
She leaned forward.
“This one is his.”
“What does that mean?”
“Lucas gave Walter the memo personally.”
“Why?”
“Because he thought Walter was the only officer in the room who might actually stop the program.”
I felt cold.
“Did he?”
Dana’s eyes filled.
“No.”
“So Dad blamed him too.”
“Yes.”
“Did that affect your friendship?”
“My friendship with Walter was already over.”
“Because of the report?”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“Because your father asked him one question.”
“What?”
“Would you still teach this tomorrow if my wife’s name wasn’t attached to it?”
I waited.
“What did Walter say?”
May you like
Dana looked away.
“He didn’t answer.”
