Chapter 18 - The Reunion
"Hello, Uncle Thomas," I said, my voice thick with emotion as I took two slow steps toward him.
He dropped the grease rag to the concrete floor, his hands trembling violently as he stared at me in shock.
"You... you shouldn't be here, Admiral," Thomas stammered, pulling off his safety glasses with awkward speed.
"An Admiral shouldn't be standing in a grease shop talking to an old convict like me."
"Stop it," I said firmly, stepping directly into his workspace and looking him straight in the eyes.
"I know everything, Thomas."
"Vice Admiral Vance gave me the envelope. He told me what happened in 1990."
Thomas froze, his eyes widening with intense panic before turning into a deep, agonizing sorrow.
"Marcus shouldn't have done that," Thomas muttered, looking away toward the cold concrete floor.
"It was supposed to stay buried. I took that fall so you and Melanie could have a normal life."
"I didn't want Arthur's crimes to ruin your chance at getting into Annapolis... you had so much potential, Claire."
I reached out, grabbing his rough, grease-stained hands in my own clean hands, completely ignoring the dark oil.
"You spent seven years in prison for a crime my father committed, Thomas," I said, tears falling freely down my face.
"And then you spent thirty-six years watching me from the shadows while he tried to destroy my spirit."
"You are the only real family I have left."
Thomas looked up at me, his eyes brimming with heavy tears that tracked clean lines down his soot-covered cheeks.
"I watched every single promotion, Claire," he sobbed quietly, his shoulders shaking under his heavy work shirt.
May you like
"Every time you took command of a ship, I stood right here on these docks and watched you sail out to sea."
"I was so damn proud of you."
