Chapter 20 - The Last Offer
Before the criminal plea was finalized, Danielle made one final request.
She wanted to speak to Nia.
Dr. Porter did not approve immediately.
She asked Nia first.
“Do you want to talk to Danielle?”
Nia asked, “Do I have to?”
“No.”
“Will she be sad if I don’t?”
“Maybe.”
Nia looked at Marcus.
Marcus said nothing.
Dr. Porter asked, “Does her sadness decide your answer?”
Nia shook her head.
Marcus felt proud.
After thinking for several minutes, Nia said, “I want to ask one thing.”
The meeting occurred in Dr. Porter’s office.
Marcus remained in the room.
Danielle sat across from Nia.
She looked nervous.
“Hi, Nia.”
“Hi.”
Silence.
Danielle did not reach for her.
That mattered.
Nia asked her question.
“Why did you say my shoes weren’t for me?”
Danielle’s face changed.
Of all the accusations, that simple question seemed to hurt most.
She answered slowly.
“Because I had spent the money your dad gave me for you.”
“On Caleb and Jordan?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I was angry about money.”
“At them?”
“No.”
“At me?”
Danielle swallowed.
“Not really.”
Nia frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“I know.”
Danielle looked toward Marcus, then back at Nia.
“I convinced myself you already had more than everybody else.”
“Because of my trust?”
“Yes.”
“So I wasn’t supposed to need shoes?”
Danielle began crying.
“I was wrong.”
Nia watched her.
“You said my old ones were fine.”
“They weren’t.”
“Did you know they were broken?”
“Yes.”
Marcus looked away.
That answer hurt worse than he expected.
Nia asked, “Did you want me to go away because I found the papers?”
“Partly.”
“And because you didn’t like me?”
Danielle wiped her cheeks.
“I was jealous and angry. That made me treat you like I didn’t like you.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Marcus almost intervened.
Dr. Porter gave him a small shake of her head.
Danielle looked at Nia.
“Yes.”
The room became still.
“For a while,” Danielle said, “I did not like being around you.”
Nia’s eyes filled.
Danielle continued quickly but carefully.
“That was not because you were bad. It was because I had feelings I did not handle correctly.”
Nia looked at Marcus.
He opened his arms.
She climbed into his lap.
Danielle cried silently.
After a minute Nia said, “Okay.”
Danielle looked up.
“Okay what?”
“I’m done asking.”
Dr. Porter ended the meeting.
Outside, Marcus carried Nia to the car even though she was old enough to walk.
She rested her head on his shoulder.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t forgive her yet.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Maybe later.”
“Maybe.”
“Do you?”
Marcus opened the car door.
“Not yet.”
Nia nodded.
That evening Danielle accepted the plea agreement.
The divorce settlement was also signed in principle.
Her share of several marital assets would fund restitution.
The trust would receive nearly full recovery immediately.
Marcus would contribute his $6,800.
An independent professional fiduciary would join him as co-trustee.
Ashford would return to licensed management.
Nia’s school records were corrected.
The caregiver authorization was void.
The family access codes had already been changed.
Everything that could be repaired on paper was being repaired.
But paper had never been the hardest part.
Marcus found Nia’s old torn sneakers in the back of her closet.
He had assumed Danielle threw them away.
One strip of clear tape still held the right toe.
Marcus picked them up.
Nia appeared behind him.
“You found them.”
“Why did you keep these?”
She shrugged.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you want them?”
“No.”
“Can I throw them away?”
She thought.
“Not yet.”
Marcus put them back.
Some things needed to stay visible until they no longer had power.
The next morning David called.
“The plea hearing is scheduled.”
“When?”
“Three weeks.”
Marcus looked at the torn shoes.
May you like
Three weeks.
After months of uncertainty, consequences finally had a date.
