The Man Who Stayed
Michael arrived early. The small park café was quiet at that hour. A few people sat at scattered tables, drinking coffee before work. Birds moved through the trees above, and the soft sound of traffic drifted from the road nearby. Michael sat at a table near the edge of the patio. His hands rested on the table, fingers loosely locked together. He had gone over this meeting in his mind many times during the past week. Every version had ended badly. Shouting. Blame. Old anger breaking open again. But Michael had made a decision. Today would not become another fight. He had already lost too much. He would not lose the last chance to make things right. A shadow moved across the table. Michael looked up. Gabriel stood there. For a moment, neither man spoke. Gabriel pulled out t
- Writer
