Chapter 10 - A New Tradition
Another year passed. It was Father's Day once again.
The backyard of the Camden home looked different. The long wooden table was there, but it was surrounded by a much larger, happier crowd. Employees from the logistics firm, old neighbors, and true friends were gathered under a canopy of string lights.
Colton and Derek were there, too. They weren't executives anymore; they had spent the last year working entry-level jobs at an independent firm Maris had recommended them to, learning the value of a hard day's work from the bottom up. They were quieter now, humbler, and for the first time in their lives, they looked at their sister with genuine admiration.
Franklin sat at the head of the table. He didn't look like an absolute ruler anymore; he looked like a grateful patriarch.
Maris walked out of the house, wearing a bright, elegant yellow dress that caught the evening sun. She held a small box in her hand.
The yard fell silent, but this time, it wasn't a silence born of fear or tension. It was a silence filled with anticipation and deep affection.
She placed the box in front of Franklin. "Happy Father's Day, Dad."
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Franklin opened it. Inside wasn't a legal document or a car key. It was a framed photograph of the two of them standing side-by-side in front of the warehouse, smiling, covered in the dust of a hard-won victory.
Franklin looked up, his eyes misty, and pulled Maris into a tight, warm hug in front of everyone. And this time, the applause that filled the backyard wasn't forced or polite. It was real, loud, and echoed far beyond the iron gates.
