Chapter 72

"Have you ever heard from your father?" Athena asked in the car on their way home.
Sean kissed her knuckles with his ring on it, "do you remember the man I excused myself to talk to at the hotel?"
Athena nodded; her head was resting on his shoulder, "yes."
"He is my father s assistant. Turns out Amber s illness was hereditary, he has been sick for the past ten years, nursing his health back with money but I guess the money can t save him anymore, he is dying and his only wish is to see me."
"What for?" she raised her head to look at him.
He kissed her forehead and made her rest her head on him again, "maybe to apologize? He has been trying to do that for two years now. His wife didn t give him a child, they had adopted a boy and girl, I wonder why. Anyways, I guess he wants to make amend on what he did, but he made a mistake, my mother might have easily forgiven him but I wouldn t. I never forgave him from the very first day he hit my mom, and I don t see myself doing so now."
"You know, I m not a saint but you should know that if you don t forgive someone, you are forever bound to that person and you will always feel the weight in your heart. When you die, it s going to be an obstacle for you in going where you are supposed to. I m not saying you should forgive him now, but think about it and try to do it before he dies, you would not only free him from his guilt, you will also free yourself from your pain and lift the weight here," she took her hand from his and touched his chest. "What he did is unforgiveable but try to, it would set you free and maybe then, you will see you aren t so broken after all but the pain buried deep in your heart make you feel like that."
She looked up to see he was looking at her, the car may be dark but she could feel the intensity of his gaze, she cupped his cheek, "you are a good man, Sean Brand and it s what made me fall for you, don t tie yourself down with hatred, forgive and enjoy the freedom of being free. When you forgive, you are not doing it for that person; you are doing it for yourself. Just think about it, okay? Even God our creator forgives, Christ was murdered on the cross, but before he died, he asked for forgiveness on behalf of the people who killed him, so you see, that is the power of forgiveness, it gives you freedom and it lightens the weight on you so that when you die, you have nothing to hold you back. Again I say, think about it, hmm?" she smiled and pushed herself up to kiss him lightly on the lips.
Sean said nothing and just looked out of the window when she rested her head on his shoulder again; he remembered when his mother used to talk to him about forgiveness and often makes an example with Christ. He closed his eyes and breathed out, maybe he would, but it was certainly not now, he has to forgive himself for not saving them, then he would forgive the man that hurt them intentionally.
When they got home, there were surprised to find Leo, Gloria and TB in the living room waiting for them. "We almost thought you guys won t be coming back," TB said before getting up to meet Athena, "let me see it, At, I m sure it looks pretty on you," he grabbed her hand and squealed, "I knew it, it looks so beautiful. How could Frank have expected you to turn this done and accept his?" he rolled his eyes. "Let s pop the champagne!" he said, picking up the bottle that was on the coffee table and opening it.
"Congratulations," Leo said and shook hands with Sean, "I m happy for you," he looked at Athena, "you made me proud and I am happy for you too," he smiled.
"Thank you," she replied with a smile.
"Mm, this is great, now we can plan our weddings together," Gloria said, hugging her.
Sean rolled his eyes, "Leo is not my twin, why should we marry on the same day?"
"Brother," Leo grabbed his chest in a fake hurt gesture, "you have her now and you threw me away? After all we have been through?"
Sean rolled his eyes and walked away, going to his mini bar to get a glass for his drink, Gloria turned to TB to beat him for drinking from the bottle. Leo glanced at Athena, "you see what he had been through? Do you understand now that he had to do whatever he did?"
Athena smiled, "Leo, thank you for talking to me that day at the restroom, I almost let Esperanza get the best of me."
"You are welcome," he smiled, "and now you are family, I will protect you from now on as I protect them," he looked at Gloria and Sean, "I have never had a family, but Sean had been one from the moment I saw him, then his mother had took me in like her own," he sighed with a smile, "she was a beautiful woman and Amber, mm," he shook his head, "between you and I, I was thinking of marrying Amber then," he winked at her.
"What did you just say?" Sean asked, pausing on filling his glass.
"Nothing," Leo said with a smile, "what, you want to punch me?"
Sean rolled his eyes and ignored him while he laughed, he grabbed Athena s hand and they approached them and sat on the couch then they drink the night away.
The next day, Fred received a call to meet some people interested in his paintings, when he arrived at the hotel, he was surprised to see Sean Brand and Leo Monroe, two great men he had never thought of meeting in his life. They offered him a handsome deal and his life changed for the better from there on, but deep in his heart, he knew their kindness had to do with Athena and he was grateful for that.
***
Three months later, Leo and Gloria got married and two months after, Sean and Athena got married.
Sean s father had attended his wedding, looking so pale and weak and his features reminded him so much of Amber, his sister looked so much like him and his face brought tears to his eyes. He didn t want to talk to him but Athena pleaded with him and after their wedding, right before they left for their honeymoon, he approached his father for the first time and promised to come see him once he returned.
And he did when they returned from Hawaii a month after. Although he was sick, his father always comes to his mansion every weekend to visit them, it was awkward at first and Sean hardly speaks with him whenever he came, but Athena would chat with him and would often talk to Sean to try and talk with him, that since he has forgiven him, he should live by it.
It went on for months and Athena was already heavily pregnant, the ultrasound showed she would be having twins, a boy and a girl and Sean had been delighted with that fact and couldn t wait to see his little ones. Gloria had already put to bed to a baby boy, it turned out she was pregnant before their wedding and Leo doesn t joke with his son.
On the day Athena put to bed, Sean talked with his father again after not speaking with him for ten months, the man held his grandchildren and cried, making Athena s heart to soften more for him. Truly, people realize the kind of life they had lived only when they were old. Three months after Athena put to bed and Sean had finally reconciled with his father, he died with a smile on his face, knowing he made up with his only living family before going to apologize again to his wife and daughter.
His death affected Sean in a way he didn t expect, the day he had forgiven his father, he had also let himself out of his blame and guilt for his mother and sister s death. Then his father s own had affected him just as much but he didn t blame himself and was rather happy that he made up with him before he died and that fact made him love Athena more and they lived happily ever after, though Leo often makes his presence known with his quest for fun.
The End.