Chapter 23 - The Mercer BrothersMercer Technical survived.
Barely.
The company shrank from twelve employees to seven.
Daniel sold the larger workshop and moved operations into a smaller building.
Private clients replaced some district work.
Aaron no longer worked there.
His ownership interest was valued and partially transferred as part of restitution and settlement arrangements.
The brothers met for coffee once a month.
At first, conversations lasted twenty minutes.
Then forty.
One Saturday Aaron came to Cameron’s baseball game.
He sat alone near the back.
Cameron noticed.
Afterward Aaron approached.
“Good hit.”
“It was a groundout.”
“I’m trying.”
Cameron smiled despite himself.
Aaron became serious.
“I owe you an apology.”
“For what?”
“For helping create the kind of system where people like Donovan thought everyone could be bought.”
Cameron stared.
“That’s a big apology.”
“I had time to practice.”
“Do you expect me to say it’s okay?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Aaron nodded.
Cameron continued:
“I still love you.”
Aaron’s eyes filled.
“But I don’t trust you with money.”
Aaron laughed through tears.
“Fair.”
Daniel had said almost the same thing months earlier.
The family was learning a new language.
Love without denial.
Forgiveness without amnesia.
Accountability without exile.
Not always.
Some relationships ended.
But not every betrayal required permanent disappearance.
Some required distance.
Rules.
May you like
Time.
Proof.
