Daniel felt light-headed with relief as the story unfolded in his head, but the risk loomed large. Difficult, and out of his control. Coming clean with Kelly, Milly, work, his publisher . . . Doubt dripped onto one corner of his burgeoning resolve as he realized how hard he would have to work to win back their trust. And without a guarantee that the effort would work.

Daniel stepped closer to him. “May I tell the story of your film lab and the cameras you sell in my next book?”

Simon bowed. “If you like.”

“It would be a powerful accompaniment to how my life turned around when I had no option but to focus on the truth.”

Kelly stared at Simon. “Where did you come from?”

“The question you should ask is, where am I needed next?”

Daniel chuckled. He shouldn’t have expected anything different from this strange young man. “Thanks so much for showing us what we needed to see. You saved us.”

Simon looked past them to the girl standing just inside the doorway—without earbuds. He rushed to greet her with an outstretched hand. “It’s Milly, isn’t it? It is an absolute pleasure to meet you. Gosh, you remind me of your father.”

Milly winced amid an awkward handshake. Daniel smiled at his daughter. She had been so much happier even in one day.

Milly seemed to be sizing Simon up as she withdrew her hand. “Are you the guy who did something to make Mom and Dad patch things up?”

Simon nodded, once.

“Well, thanks . . . for whatever you did.”

Simon smiled. “You should thank your parents. They brought their problems out into the open. They each held a part of the solution.” He winked at Daniel. “All I did was comfort them in the knowledge that the truth—one of the most powerful forces in life—would set them free.”

“So long, Simon.” Daniel bid him farewell with a firm handshake. “I’ll make sure I tell others to come and see you—with or without cameras and film—or at least remind them there’s truly more to life than what they see.”

Simon bit his lower lip, his eyes again glistening. “Your next book will be more than reminding others of the truth around them. It will also be about accepting truth yourself. You may find the person who needs this book the most is you.”

Kelly hugged Simon again, and the tiny bell jingled their departure from the film lab.

*  *  *

The red-and-yellow paper lanterns fluttered as Kelly stepped into Ming’s Court Chinese Restaurant. The proprietor came to meet them, reaching out to hold Kelly’s hands.

“Welcome, welcome! So pleased to see you again, Daniel, and this time you have brought your family!” He bowed slightly to Milly. “And your daughter has grown so much.”

Milly smiled back at him. Another smile, so soon after the first. It was so good to see.