He was there in eight minutes. He burst into the room, his eyes scanning the tables until they landed on the young woman sitting with Ethan.
Alex walked over slowly. Katie stood up. They stood face to face: the successful businessman in his expensive suit and the young woman in the worn jacket.
“Is it really you?” he whispered.
“Yes,” she said softly.
And then Alex did something that shocked everyone in the room. He took her hand and looked her in the eye with a sincere, humble expression. “I am so sorry,” he said, his voice cracking. “I’ve lived with that day for ten years. You gave my son a miracle, and I yelled at you. I didn’t even give you a chance to speak. Please, forgive me.”
Katie squeezed his hand. “Please, Mr. Sterling. You don’t have to do this. You were just being a father. I understood then, and I understand now.”
“No,” Alex shook his head. “I should have thanked you. I should have been grateful. But better late than never.”
He looked at her with genuine respect. “Thank you. Thank you for my son. Thank you for changing our lives.”
Ethan helped them both sit down. Alex couldn’t stop looking at her. “Tell us, how did you do it? The doctors still can’t explain it.”
Katie thought for a moment. “I don’t know what to call it. I just always had a way of seeing things differently. I could see people’s pain, their illnesses… the things that were wrong.”
She looked at Ethan. “When I saw you that day, I saw that your eyes were just… covered. I trusted my gut. And it worked.”
“And now?” Ethan asked. “Do you still have that gift?”
Katie smiled sadly. “No. After that day, it faded. I don’t see anything now that everyone else doesn’t see.”
She paused. “I think that gift was only meant for one thing—to help you. Once I did that, it was gone.”
Alex reached out and touched her arm. “What are you doing now? Where are you staying?”
“I have a small apartment on the edge of town. I work as a custodian at the hospital,” she said simply. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
“No,” Alex said firmly. “That’s not going to happen. You saved my son, and you’re struggling. Let me help you. I’ll cover your tuition, help you with a place, whatever you need.”
Katie shook her head. “I can’t just take a handout. I want to earn my way.”
“What if it’s not a handout, but a job?” Ethan suggested. “The foundation needs people who actually understand what it means to need help. You could work with the kids, helping them through the tough parts. No one could do that better than you.”
Katie hesitated. “I don’t have a degree.”
“You can get one,” Alex said. “But you have something you can’t teach: a good heart. That’s worth more than any diploma.”
Katie looked at them both—the father and son who were looking at her with such hope. “Okay,” she said quietly. “I’ll do it. But on one condition: I work for my paycheck. No special treatment.”
“Deal,” Alex smiled.
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