”
The natural use of the word made Marcus’s heart swell. —
Marcus found an apartment three blocks from Clara’s. He took the children to see it. Grace wanted rainbow wallpaper.
Liam wanted his soccer team’s colors. Owen wanted floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. “Why don’t you live with us? ” Grace asked one day.
“I made mistakes. But I’ll always be near now. ”
Liam said, “We could build a bridge between our houses. ”
Marcus smiled.
“We can’t build a real bridge. But we can create our own paths. ”
—
Six months later, Marcus sat on the same bench in Griffith Park. This time, Owen sat beside him with a book.
Grace sketched. Liam kicked a ball nearby. Clara brought ice cream. “Daddy,” Grace said, “tell us the story of how you found us.
”
“It was right here. I thought I had everything. Then I heard Mom playing the guitar. ”
“And you found out we existed,” Owen finished.
Marcus hugged them. “It was the most important day of my life. ”
Owen looked thoughtful. “Like the little prince.
Sometimes you have to travel the whole universe to find the treasure was where you started. ”
Marcus felt tears sting his eyes. He was no longer just a millionaire. He was a father.
And that was the only treasure that mattered.