The Final Note
Later, Richard stood at Oliver’s door, watching his son’s slow breathing. On the nightstand lay the Courage Points notebook. On the last page, in Oliver’s handwriting, it read:
Dad: 5 points — kept his promise. The letters started to stay still.
Richard smiled. Power wasn’t about controlling everything. It was about being present for the simple rhythm of family.
Downstairs, his briefcase still waited. But tonight, it could wait. Instead, Richard picked up a pen and wrote a card for Grace:
Thank you.
☑ Raise
☑ Tuition Fund
Then he wrote another: Dad & Ollie Club Agenda: Build a bridge that sings. He pinned it to the fridge.
His life hadn’t fallen apart. It had simply found a better rhythm. And in that rhythm, he finally understood: true courage was not building empires outside, but keeping time with the family inside.
