Chapter 12 - Eighty-Two Isn't Invisible
Arturo refused to hide in his hospital bed while other people decided whether he was still a person.
"Take me to the window," he asked Elena. "I want to see the sun."
She helped him into a chair. His swollen ankle rested on a pillow. He remembered the names of all six tenants, the year he bought the workshop, and the day Isabel first walked through its doors carrying a broken rocking chair.
"Some days I forget where I put my glasses," he told Ricardo. "Some days I need a minute to find the right word. That doesn't mean I forgot who hurt me."
Ricardo apologized again. Arturo stopped him.
"I don't need you to keep saying sorry. I need you to stay when things get hard."
The medical team arranged an assessment, and Leah made certain Arturo had an opportunity to speak privately with independent professionals. He said he wanted Elena to help coordinate his care. He did not want Celeste controlling his money or his life.
When Mia arrived, she placed a small drawing on his blanket: a long dining table with a chair for Grandpa, a chair for Scout, and one for every member of the family.
"I made the table big enough," she said.
Arturo smiled. "Then we'd better build it."
That evening Ricardo received a voicemail from Brendan. The accountant's voice was thin with panic.
"I know what Celeste told you. She isn't telling the whole story. Meet me alone at the workshop tonight, or the deal goes through with your name on it."
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Leah told Ricardo not to go alone.
When he looked out of her office window, Brendan's car was already waiting at the curb.
