that’s true. We have to be taught to understand how to act and behave,” Joseph said.
“Here I am with so much to think and worry about with my own life and my own health, but so many others are going through the same without the same resources we have. Why are we allowing this? Why are we focused on the bad when we have so much good?” She wasn’t actually looking for an answer so he waited for her to go on.
“Joseph, I love the man you are, and how you protect not only me, but our entire family. It’s the reason I fell in love with you, and it’s your most beautiful quality. You’ll try to fight me on this, but you’ll lose, so you might as well agree now. I forgive the man who attacked me. I’m not going to press charges. In fact, I’m going to try to get him a room at a place where I think he’ll get a chance to change his life.”
Joseph was speechless for several seconds. That rarely happened to him. When he spoke again, he found himself stammering, his normally booming voice very quiet and breathy. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “No. What? How? Katherine . . . no.” Joseph stopped. He couldn’t even form a sentence.
“We’ve always risen as a family. Always. We’re too good to hold a grudge, to seek revenge. This isn’t about you, and it’s not even about me. It’s about a broken society of forgotten people. Maybe if we help them instead of condemning them, we can truly make a difference in this world. What better way is there to tell the story of our lives, than to show a story of redemption?”
Joseph clamped his lips together. She’d told him not to argue, but he firmly disagreed with her on this matter. This man had attacked her, had put her in a coma. This man was irredeemable. How could she think anything different?
“You know I’ll always support you, but I think this is wrong,” he said after a minute. She looked disappointed with his words. He continued. “But whether you press charges or not, he’s confessed to attacking you, and so much more. You might not have a choice in his charges,” he told her. “I’m not saying that to be mean, I’m just letting you know that without law and order in this world it would be utter chaos. I do love your kind heart. I love the woman you are, and how forgiving you are. I also respect the law. I’ll stand by your side no matter what you do, but I won’t interfere or ask the cops to stand down. I believe this man is dangerous. If he can be redeemed, then that makes me happy because I know it makes you happy. But if he’s a true danger, and the judge feels he needs some time behind bars, then I hope you can still feel peace.”
Katherine stood and took his drink from his hand, then sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around him. She laid her head against his chest where he was sure his thundering heart was loud and clear against her ear. He automatically cradled her close, finding himself calming with her right next to him. She had a way of doing that where no one and nothing else could.
“Joseph, it’s possible that tonight could be our last one together. Maybe next week is our last. Maybe next month. I hope not. I hope there are many years to come. But we should live each day as if it’s our last day together. We don’t want to spend these days full of hate. We want to spend them with love. I’m not going to stop what you have going with Chad. I think it’s bigger than one man attacking me, and I have faith that it’s for a good cause. But this man did attack me, and therefore it’s my choice what to do going forward. I want to see him. I want to look him in the eyes, and I want to tell him he’s forgiven — even if I don’t have a choice on the law side of things. I can forgive him, and I can offer help if or when he gets out of jail.”
Joseph felt a dam building up, holding back his very fragile emotions. So much had happened these past few months. So much was on his plate. He valued his strength,