Brian opened his letter slowly. Dad had written that he probably had done something he was ashamed of, but that he had never kept score of his mistakes. He had paid Brian’s debts because he wanted his son to know someone would catch him. But he finally understood that catching someone was not always enough. A father also had to teach his child to stand up. Dad admitted that he had watched Brian carry more shame than he ever had, and he regretted paying bills instead of helping him face his problems. He had arranged money through Hale and Sons, but it would never be handed directly to Brian. It could pay for recovery treatment, housing, or anything that helped him rebuild. Dad ended by saying he was proud of the boy who once repaired bicycles for neighborhood children, and he believed that boy was still inside him.

Brian broke down crying. Mom moved beside him and gently rubbed his back. She told him that Dad had seen him all along, even when he could not figure out how to help him. After a long silence, Brian asked whether he could visit Gus and apologize. Mom agreed, telling him to bring the thirty-five dollars. On Monday morning, he went to the secondhand shop and offered Gus the crumpled bills. Gus refused the money. Instead, he asked Brian to sit with him for an hour and help with some old watches that needed patience. It was the beginning of an unexpected friendship. In February, Brian entered a recovery program in Millbrook, paid for through the trust Dad had arranged. He stayed for ninety days, then another ninety, before moving into an apartment above a hardware store.