Chapter 11 - THOMAS VALE'S LAST MESSAGEThree days later, Claire visited Rebecca.
Rebecca nearly closed the door.
Claire held out the drive.
“I'm not asking you to forgive me.”
Rebecca stared.
“Then why are you here?”
“Because your father left something for you.”
They watched together.
Thomas appeared.
Dusty.
Exhausted.
Alive.
“Hey, girls.”
Rebecca collapsed against the couch.
Thomas joked first.
That was who he had been.
Then his expression became serious.
“People will tell you heroes aren't scared.”
He shook his head.
“That's nonsense.”
He admitted he was frightened.
Then said fear didn't define people.
Choice did.
“My commander made a decision based on information we now know was wrong.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“She'll blame herself.”
Thomas looked directly into the camera.
“Don't let her.”
Rebecca looked at Claire.
Thomas continued.
“She didn't put us here. Somebody lied to her.”
Then Claire's voice shouted from off-camera.
“Thomas!”
He grinned.
“There she is.”
His final words to his daughters were simple.
“I love you.”
The screen went dark.
Rebecca cried for a long time.
Eventually she whispered:
“He chose to go back.”
“Yes.”
“You tried to stop him?”
“Yes.”
“And you still blame yourself?”
“Yes.”
Rebecca took Claire's hand.
“Then you weren't listening to my father.”
It wasn't forgiveness.
Not yet.
May you like
It was something more difficult.
The beginning of it.
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