Moffitt left the bathroom with Anah to find everyone else was already gathered in the parlor. Jules and Vanora both looked tired, as did Livna. The Black Shuck sat quite regally by the desk, facing everyone across the coffee table. The way he sat and carried himself reminded Moffitt a little of the Anubis statues that he and his father had found in various tombs across Egypt.

The smell of herbal tea was strong in that room. Moffitt sat with Anah on his lap before picking up his cup, taking in the sweet smell of raspberry hibiscus before sipping from it. He let the generally calming effect of tea flow over him before setting his cup down and facing the red-eyed dog in front of him. "Alright. What is it we need to know?"

"What the witch told you about me stopping her was correct. I was making rounds in this part of Britain when I caught word of her plan, the contract," the Black Shuck replied. "I was, unfortunately, unable to save the child. The most I could do was see her safely escorted across the river." He was silent for a moment, his intimidating presence giving way to a deep solemness. "She is not the first. I have walked this Earth for many hundreds of years. I have had successes and losses. No matter how many losses, it never becomes easier. I have also sought revenge against those who harm the innocent on my watch. Miss Brimsey was simply the latest I was after, but in fifty years, I could not track her. She made it difficult, so, needless to say, it was exciting when I learned she returned to this area."

"She just disappeared?" Jules asked.

"For reasons only she knew," the Black Shuck continued. "It did not matter why. All I knew was that she was not going to disappear again. What you all did was dangerous, going to that manor. You made yourselves bait. At the same time, you lured her out of wherever she was hiding. For that, I owe you my thanks."

"Um, well—" Moffitt grinned sheepishly, "We're sorry, and you're welcome."

"It's not our first dance with dark magic," Jules added.

"No. I can attest that the magpies were becoming a problem, even for me," the Black Shuck said. "They would have either driven me out, or incapacitated me."

"As much as we appreciate you telling us all this, we would like to know why you attacked us in the first place," Vanora said.

"I had my concerns that Brimsey was using illusions. Illusions typically do not mask scarring, so the injury to her left hand from the poker was the only thing I had to go off of. As a result, I assumed your husband and son were her. It was a mistake that very well could have ended tragically. Eventually, I saw you were not her."

"My own abilities didn't register with you?" Moffitt asked.

"I am sure you can understand from experience that revenge can be blinding."

Moffitt looked down, nodding in agreement, though he felt like he had been punched in the stomach. "I do understand."

"Can you answer something else, please?" Vanora asked. "What is your purpose? We've wondered that ever since legends of you began circulating hundreds of years ago."

The Black Shuck remained quiet for a moment, glancing around at each member of Moffitt's family. "I deem you worthy of knowing. I am no demon, like many of the legends say, but rather, the opposite. Together, with other forces, we patrol the world, keeping watch over the innocent, defending people and places from those that would do them harm, giving signs to those who need to pay attention. It is typically those who fail to pay attention who suffer the misfortunes that I am claimed to bring. I trust you will say nothing to anyone apart from your closest friends."

"Why should this remain a secret?"

"To keep the evil-doers from getting bold. If people like Brimsey were to learn my purpose, they would do things that are more and more horrid, try to force me into a position where I must hurt someone innocent in order to get to them. It would give them 'evidence' to claim I am the one who is truly evil. To remain an enigma will keep them afraid and confused. It is a way of laying low, keeping targets off of my back."

"And you're already trusting our friends?" Moffitt asked.

"They have already proven that they are trustworthy."

"That's good to hear."

The big dog nodded, then turned back to Vanora. "I would like a moment alone with your husband, please."

Vanora stood, taking Anah and motioning for Jules to come with her. The only one who stayed was Livna. Moffitt gulped, unable to even begin guessing what the Black Shuck wanted from him.

"Before I leave, Zunera asked me to tell you a little about the remainder of your journey of healing from grief."

"Who's Zunera?" Moffitt raised an eyebrow.

"The white cobra who has been appearing to you."

"I didn't know she had a name."

The Black Shuck nodded. "There are two more steps you must take that will be a great test of your strength. One will involve the recovery of more memories. The other will involve something that you have expressed a desire to do, but are not yet ready for."

Moffitt's heart felt heavy. "I have a feeling you're referring to what I told Troy last year, how… how I want to apologize to the families of the two Germans I killed in my fit of rage."

"Indeed I am. I agree that you are not ready. Recover more of your memories, so your head is clearer when you do confront their families."

Moffitt nodded. "That makes sense."

"I can say that there will be some time before the next step, but it is something to keep in the back of your mind."

"At the risk of sounding like Troy, could I have a hint of what it is?"

"You will know it when it happens. Trust me."

"Alright. Fair enough." Moffitt released his breath. "At least it sounds like there will be an end to this."

"It is rough for you, but it has also been rough for your brother to watch."

Moffitt looked down at his lap. "I know I had said when I visited his grave that he wouldn't want me suffering like this. That was easier said than done."

"You will find peace in time." The Black Shuck stood, and Moffitt swore a grin crossed his face when he looked at Livna. "I reckon this would have been much more difficult if you were still bitter toward dogs."

Moffitt smirked. "Possibly. Livna will get a nice treat for all her efforts. I am perfectly alright with saying that she is a good girl."

Livna's response was to go over to Moffitt, put her head on his knee, and look up at him with her tongue out.

"Yes, yes, you and River both turned me to mush." Moffitt patted the husky's head, then looked over at the Black Shuck. "And you know what? You were more helpful to us than that blasted stray in North Africa—and that filthy little beast wasn't even magical!"

The Black Shuck and Livna exchanged a look, with the bigger dog letting out a sigh and shaking his head. "Some things will never change, I see. Well, I must be off. Again, thank you for your help."

"You're welcome," Moffitt said. "I suppose we might see you around, but I think it's more likely we won't."

"You never know. Perhaps you will one day. I wish you the best of luck." With that, the Black Shuck left the parlor.

Things were quiet for a few moments before Vanora peered into the room. She looked to be struggling with words, then eventually said, "That seriously just happened?"

"It did, darling," Moffitt replied. "Are you alright?"

"I'm exhausted. I don't think I'll be able to really answer that until the morning."

Moffitt's own exhaustion began to rapidly seep through him. He stopped petting Livna, and stood. "Right. I suppose we should get to bed, then. How's Jules?"

"He went to bed after the Black Shuck left."

"Ah. Then, yes, we can continue this conversation in the morning." Moffitt put his arm around Vanora, walking with her into their bedroom.

Vanora didn't think anyone could be more surprised at her actions than herself. She could still see and hear everything she said to the witch, feel the weight of the gun in her hands, and it kicking back when she pulled the trigger. She would have shot to kill if Jules and Nightrunner weren't directly behind Brimsey. She stared up at the ceiling after getting in bed with Moffitt, realizing what she had just thought. Never in her life did she think that she would ever want to seriously hurt someone. In that moment, she did. She really, really did.

She saw Moffitt turning to face her in the corner of her right eye. He kissed the side of her head before asking, "Are you alright, darling?"

"Thinking," Vanora said.

"About everything that happened tonight?"

"Yes." Vanora moved onto her side to face her husband. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How did you… make the decision to hurt people, back during the war?"

"Truthfully, I never wanted to be hurting anyone. I understood that was part of my job. I also understood that when the shooting actually started, it was going to be my life or theirs. Or worse, the lives of my teammates. The bigger picture demanded it, unfortunately. It was the only way we were actually going to end the fighting at all. With Brimsey, it was somewhat similar, but I wouldn't have hesitated to deal with her. She made it clear she was going to hurt us. She made it clear she was going to destroy Anah's current body. She made it clear that she planned on kidnapping the Fairisles' daughter, and was angry that she failed. She wasn't like any of the soldiers I fought, where I was constantly wondering who they were, and whether or not they just wanted all of this to end, like I did."

"Dealing with Brimsey was a bit different."

"Yes. Still, it's not a decision one can take lightly. I think you did the right thing, and you showed a great deal of courage, especially with what Brimsey was saying about you."

"It's not the first time anyone's ever said that about me. About being weak."

Moffitt gently pulled Vanora in for a hug. "I don't think you are. I never did. You've proven your strength countless times. I'll admit, I worried that it looked like you wanted to give up a few times when you had Jules, but you didn't give up."

"I had you and Anah with me, and I wanted to finally meet our baby. Of course I wasn't giving up."

"There was only so much that we could do, though. I wished I could've taken your pain away, make it easier for you, but I couldn't. You still found the strength to push, and now look where we are." Moffitt smiled. "All of us, together. Our family. I would stop at nothing to protect you and Jules and Anah, and I know you'd do the same."

"I felt I had to."

Moffitt kissed Vanora's forehead. "You made a difficult decision in the heat of the moment, and dare I say I'm proud of you for stepping up like that."

"Thanks." Vanora kissed Moffitt's cheek.

Moffitt pulled her in a little closer to whisper in her ear. "I do recall saying that when this was over, I wanted to take care of you and help you out with some things that've been bothering you."

"I remember." Vanora took a moment to think about what she wanted while Moffitt kissed and nuzzled her. "I would absolutely love some time alone with you, but I wouldn't mind visiting Dietrich to get some advice."

"Of course. We can call tomorrow morning and ask when he'll be available," Moffitt replied. "Germany does look lovely this time of year. And you look lovely all year round. That hasn't changed in all twenty years we've been together."

Vanora grinned. "You haven't changed much in that regard, either. You're still the same handsome fellow I fell head-over-heels for at Evelina's event at the university." She tapped Moffitt's nose. "I love you."

"I love you, too, darling."

They shared an impassioned kiss before finally settling down to sleep. It was nice to finally be thinking about something else, without any worries to shelve in the process. Vanora looked forward to time alone with Moffitt. Just him and not a care in the world. She wanted to put more fuel on the fire of their love, and have a deeply passionate night in a way they hadn't been able to in a while. She wanted the pure, raw bliss of his love, and wanted to give him the same in return.

In the morning, Vanora awoke before Moffitt, and remained in bed for a little while, staring up at the ceiling while listening to her husband's soft, even breathing and the bedroom radiator running. For a moment, Vanora wasn't sure if what had happened the previous night was real. I thought the same thing about the magpies when we came home from the castle. It felt real. It must have been real. She sat up, seeing Anah was covered by Moffitt's scarf. If Anah has a bandage on when she wakes up, last night definitely happened. At least that was the only injury any of us sustained. At least Jules didn't break his arm again… and at least I didn't have to keep anyone alive after they let themselves get bitten by a black mamba.

Vanora got out of bed, putting on a pair of slippers before getting her robe from the closet. She left the bedroom, seeing the empty cups that had been full of herbal tea the previous night by the sink. Without a doubt, last night had happened.

Movement in the corner of her eye made her turn toward the doorway to the parlor, then she stepped down into the room to get a better look. Plodding along in the frosty grass was a lone badger. She watched the badger for a moment, and thought about what she overheard between Moffitt and Anah the previous night. It wasn't the first time someone had compared her to badgers before, but she found it interesting that she felt more inclined to believe when someone referred to her as weak than when someone referred to her as having hidden strength. Because that's all it seems to be. Hidden. She sat on the couch, continuing to watch the badger nosing around the grass. Perhaps not so anymore.

There were still things to do, a home to be kept, but Vanora started to wonder if she truly did have more strength than she gave herself credit for.

Despite being over five thousand miles away from each other, Jules couldn't help feeling as flustered while talking to Antheia on the telephone as he would if he was talking to her in person. He kept one hand behind his back in an effort to avoid taking a lock of his hair and wrapping it around his fingers over and over again. The last time, he had somehow gotten that lock knotted with another, along with his index finger, which required assistance from Anah to get everything detangled. When he and Antheia managed to stop giggling, Jules described the situation of the last few weeks, then fell silent as he waited for Antheia's thoughts.

"At least you're all okay. How's Anah?" Antheia asked.

"She'll be alright. Better than what happened with the eagle and the magpies," Jules said.

"Sure sounds like it. And you're okay?"

"Yeah. Last night was bloody awful, though. I really wanted to whack that witch with my sword, but I was worried that would just get Anah even more hurt. Mum was a huge surprise in the end."

"Yeah. I wasn't expecting that. She's usually not… the decisive type."

"No. I won't argue with that, but we're all glad she did something when she had the chance." Jules smiled, even though Antheia couldn't see it. "It's all over. We're okay."

"That's good. I was hoping to ask if you had any ideas for what you wanted to do when you visit for Thanksgiving."

"There's not much to do this time of year, is there?"

"They start putting the Christmas lights up in town the day after. We could take a walk and watch. Maybe look at some stuff in the shops. You know, get some ideas."

"Oh, putting your Christmas list together?"

"And yours, too!"

"I haven't really thought about what I want, to be honest. We haven't physically seen each other since Easter. Spending time with you would be nice."

"You're not going to ask for your own car?"

"No. I don't want Mum and Dad to spend that kind of money on me."

"Aw, Jules—"

"I don't even know what make and model I'd want. I know there're some that look nice but are actually rubbish. Then there's the fact that I'm really tall and can't fit in a lot of things—"

"Jules?"

"Yeah?"

"You sound like your dad."

"Yeah, well, you sound like your dad talking to my dad."

They both paused for a heartbeat, then burst into laughter. Jules's face flushed red as he said, "Sorry."

"For what, silly?"

"I don't know."

"Jules, you sound like—"

"My dad. I know." Jules looked over when he saw his father come out of the parlor. At first, he wondered if the jokes were going too far, then he saw a grin cross Moffitt's face. "Um… yeah, in all seriousness, I'm not going to ask for a car. I'm not ready for that yet."

"Okay. We'll find a good gift for you, though."

"Antheia, that's supposed to be a surprise. I like surprises. I know you like surprises."

"That's true, I do."

It was nice to be having a very mundane conversation. Mundane, but meaningful. About an hour passed before Jules and Antheia hung up. Right as Jules put the telephone back on its hook, his father came back inside from working with the horses. "Hey, Dad."

"Hello," Moffitt said. "Have a good chat with Antheia?"

"Yeah. We're looking forward to being able to see each other again on Thanksgiving. Everything's going alright with her, schooling-wise."

"Did you ask how Troy was doing? Last time I called, he was sick with the flu."

"I did ask. He's doing a bit better. Antheia told me that Shauna threatened to tie Troy to the bed if he didn't stop trying to go do work around the ranch. I'm surprised he even did try given that he could hardly walk."

Moffitt sighed. "That's Troy for you."

"Yeah." Jules leaned against the counter, looking down at the floor for a moment and thinking back to everything he had told Antheia. The only thing he didn't mention was what his father had learned about Michael. He didn't feel it was his place, even though he fully trusted Antheia. She was aware of what happened to Michael, and she had her own experiences with complicated grief, having lost her biological parents when she was three. Her own fuzzy memories were more natural due to age, but it did still bother her at times. Jules decided to be respectful of his father, and not say anything unless he had permission to do so.

"Are you alright?"

Jules pulled himself from his thoughts. "Yeah, um… I was wondering… now that this is over, what… what do you plan on doing in terms of your brother?"

"There isn't much I can do, other than letting things return naturally," Moffitt said. He took the kettle from the stove. "Tea?"

"Sure. Thanks."

Moffitt began filling the kettle with water. "Your mother and I will be going to West Germany for a few days. I plan on talking to Dietrich while we're there."

"Can I come?"

"Not this time, unfortunately. I'm sorry. You and Anah will be here. Your mother and I would like some time by ourselves."

"Okay. I understand. I could spend time with Dietrich and Anselm, though. Leave you and Mum alone."

Moffitt gave a weak smile. "I think you'll understand when you're older and get married, and especially after you have children of your own."

Jules frowned, and his face reddened with shame. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, of course not." Moffitt gave Jules a sympathetic look as he set bags of tea in a pair of cups. "Vanora and I just want time to enjoy each other's company. That's all. No one's in trouble."

Jules nodded. "Okay."

"I trust you and Anah to take care of the house."

"No problem, Dad. It'll be as clean as the day you and Mum leave it. Maybe even better than that."

Moffitt took the kettle off the stove right before it could start whistling, and poured the hot water into the two cups. He looked to be thinking, and Jules decided to let him speak first. He changed the topic back to his brother. "I understand that you were told a lot of things before you were ready to understand them a few years ago, whether it was Dietrich's attempted suicide or my brother's death."

"I didn't even know Michael existed until then." Jules had been tempted to say "Uncle Michael," but wondered if that would just hurt his father.

"That's true. You didn't. Whether or not keeping that a secret was a bad thing is up in the air, but… you know now." Moffitt added a bit of milk and sugar to his tea. "Now, as for what's next, we'll see. This journey for me isn't over. Just understand that it's not going to be easy, and when things hurt, it's not your fault, or your mother's, or Anah's. I probably already said this, but grief is devastating, and it has a tendency to pull in others sometimes. It's also inevitable, no matter who you are. It's the single most indiscriminate force in the world. If anything, I hope… I hope I can show you how to handle it better than I did."

Jules nodded. He went over to prepare his own tea, but paused when Moffitt put his cup down in order to give him a hug. He felt his father hug him back, tightly, before relaxing a little.

"I'm not going to stop you from trying to help me," Moffitt said. "It's the sort of thing Michael would do, even if he didn't fully understand what someone else was going through. He simply wanted to help. I did push him away at times, and I shouldn't have. I'm not going to push you away, and you have my permission to tell me if it ever seems like I'm doing that."

"Okay. I'll let you know that you gave me permission."

They pulled apart, but Moffitt kept his hands on his son's shoulders, smiling and gently squeezing them while saying, "I love you, and I'm so proud of you."

It felt good to see his father smiling, and it prompted Jules to do the same. "I love you, too, Dad."

"There's still quite a bit for you to learn, but I feel you're on the right track."

"Thanks."

Moffitt let go of Jules so he could continue preparing his tea. "I'm feeling a bit peckish. How about we have some lunch and go out for a ride afterward?"

"That sounds fun," Jules said. He gave his father a lopsided grin. "If we race, though, I'm not falling for your 'look over there' trick again."

Moffitt smirked in return. "We'll see."

"At least eat a little something before you go, dear," Anah said.

"There's food at the airport," Moffitt sighed. "Besides, the flight to Germany isn't very long. I'll be alright."

Vanora rolled her eyes. "Jack, I know you—you're going to have one cup of tea at the airport, and then you're going to spend the whole bloody flight complaining that you feel faint."

"No, I'm not."

Anah gave a sigh of her own. It was early in the morning, much too early to be dealing with this, especially since it was still quite dark out.

"We really should be heading out soon," Moffitt said.

"Jack, we have plenty of time before our flight leaves," Vanora replied. "Put your bum in the chair. I'm going to toast some muffins for us."

"Oh, fine!" Moffitt sat down with a huff. "Bother both of you."

"This is supposed to be a romantic trip for both of us," Vanora said. "You might be sleeping on the couch tonight if you keep grumbling."

"No, you could never do that to me."

"Do you want to test that?"

"Of course. You yourself said I'm irresistibly cuddly. You wouldn't be able to last five minutes without me there."

Anah had already taken care of putting the muffins in the toaster. "I have heard you say that before, Vanora."

"That's not a valid excuse for him to be stubborn," Vanora said.

"I love you," Moffitt said, grinning.

Vanora patted his head, then roughly tousled his hair. "I love you, too."

After their quick breakfast, Anah assisted with making sure they had everything packed. Goodbyes were said, heavy coats, gloves, and hats were put on, and Anah perched on a windowsill to watch Moffitt and Vanora leave. They walked hand-in-hand out to the blue Land Rover, which Moffitt turned on before going around to scrape ice off all the windows. Anah remained where she was until the vehicle was pulling out of the driveway. The sun hadn't yet started to rise, and Jules wasn't awake yet, so Anah tried to busy herself quietly. She made sure the heat was on and pondered whether she should make something special for Jules's breakfast, or let him decide what he wanted. After all, he would be the only person she needed to cook for over the next couple of weeks.

Shortly after the sun started rising, Jules left his bedroom, fully dressed. "'Morning, Anah," he murmured tiredly. "Mum and Dad already left?" He paused to pet Livna when she trotted out of his bedroom after him.

"Yes, dear," Anah said. "I cannot decide if I should surprise you with a special breakfast or let you decide."

Jules perked up a little. "Could you make waffles, please?"

Anah smiled. "Of course, dear. I will have them ready by the time you are finished with the horses."

"Thanks."

Anah immediately got started mixing up batter. She looked out the window when Jules headed out to the stable, followed by Livna, and noticed he didn't have the silver sword on his belt. It had been a few days since that incident came to an end. A sense of relief came over Anah. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, glad to see that Jules could go about his day without fear.

Her gladness faded when she thought back to the days after the battle at the magpie castle. She remembered how it took everyone time to adjust to not having to fear anymore. It wasn't nearly as intense as it was for Moffitt when he moved into this house with Anah and struggled to process that he was safe here. It broke Anah's heart to watch that, but she did her best to help. Even she struggled for a while, after two thousand years trapped in one place.

As glad as she was that both Moffitt and Jules were resilient, she didn't want to see that continually tested. Vanora was still dealing with her own fears and traumas sustained from the magpies, and the Black Shuck had done her no favors. It would take time, but Anah had faith that Vanora would heal. She had plenty of people who were all very willing and eager to help.

Anah also felt it was worth noting that even Livna seemed happier now. The husky had been on-guard over the last couple of weeks, but now she was back to getting under everyone's feet, and seeking out opportunities to play and comfort the rest of her family. She, too, was resilient. Despite the Black Shuck saying it was unlikely when they would see him again, Anah had caught him out in the yard with Livna, looking much happier than he had been before. He reminded Anah a bit of herself, how in spite of his supernatural status, he needed a bit of fun every once in a while.

Once the waffles were nearly finished, Anah got started on preparing Livna's breakfast. She put her thoughts off to the side when Jules came inside for his tea and breakfast. "It's all ready and waiting for you, dear," she said.

Jules's face was bright red from the cold. He crouched by the hearth for a moment before sitting at the kitchen table. An impressive array had been spread out for him. At the center was a tall stack of waffles, fragrant with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and a generous amount of vanilla. The plate was surrounded by jars of maple syrup, peanut butter, hot fudge, and several different jams, along with a plate of butter, bowls of fruit, chopped nuts, whipped cream, and a small cup of powdered sugar. For a moment, Anah wondered if this was a bit much, but she decided to let it slide for that day.

It was snowing when Jules pushed away his plate and leaned back in his chair, loosening his belt and resting his hands on his stomach. He gave a sigh of contentment before saying, "That was so good, Anah. I'd have more, but I don't have any room left."

"I am glad you enjoyed it," Anah replied. She telekinetically took his plate and set it in the hot soapy water in the sink.

"Do you need help cleaning up?"

"No, thank you, dear." Anah slithered over the table to start covering the jars and wiping up any little drips. She double-checked the table before taking some of the jars and bowls. "I take it you are going to lie down for a bit?"

"I might. What did you have planned for lessons?" Jules asked.

"I have mathematics and British history for the morning. I would like you to spend some time on your art project, and then I will be teaching you how to stitch seams in clothing with various fabrics."

"Sounds good. Oh, how'd I do on my anatomy quiz?"

"You did brilliantly, dear. Perfect mark, actually."

"Nice."

"You should be very proud, dear. I know I am." Anah climbed up to Jules's shoulders to nuzzle him.

After the morning section of Jules's lessons, Anah was glad to take a break, dozing a little while around his shoulders. Livna was on the couch next to them, her head rested on Jules's lap. The sound of her breathing deeply in sleep was audible with how quiet it was in the house.

Anah raised her head as she adjusted herself, and looked at Jules's sketch. It was a lovely pencil drawing of a young man standing by the edge of a cliff, overlooking a detailed landscape. "May I ask what you settled on for your subject here?" Anah asked.

Jules flushed red. "Promise you won't say anything to Dad?"

"What did you do, honey?" Anah gave him a look.

"Um… I may've looked through that box of things from his brother. I found this photograph of Michael on a hike up in Derbyshire, and something… it sort of felt like it was calling me to do something with it, so I decided to recreate it. I want to give it to Dad as a gift. I was worried it would upset him at first, but after he told me that I've been helpful, in a way, I'm not nearly as worried anymore. In fact, I hope it helps."

Anah nodded. "I think it will help, dear. You know you shouldn't be going through your father's things, though, especially something as deeply personal as this."

"He did tell me a few years ago that I was allowed to go through them if I was curious about Michael. I just… I never have because I feel like it'll make me want to ask questions. Questions I don't think Dad can answer, either because he doesn't want to, or he… he can't remember."

Anah rested her head back on Jules's shoulder, remembering what she overheard the Black Shuck telling Moffitt about what was next for him. "In time, dear, your father will regain those memories. It would be preferable for him to be sharing delightful stories about your uncle instead of being afraid of the pain they will cause to himself."

"I don't want him to be in pain anymore."

"None of us do. Have patience. With time, effort, and a lot of love, your father will make peace with himself."