“I put my head down, made a plan, and soon had it all figured out. According to my calculations, if we trimmed our costs, lived frugally, and if I was able to keep the business running, then I could borrow what we needed and have the entire amount repaid in under five years. My father would never need to find out. So off I went, armed with my budget, straight to the bank. Everything was put into motion, and the next day I was approved for the loan. I had the cash. I was ready to bring my father home.”

“Wait a second. You went by yourself and the bank said yes, just like that? They let you sign off on something like that on your own?”

“They had to because of the stroke. Being his son, his next of kin, I had automatic power of attorney over my father’s affairs.”

“You didn’t need his permission?”

Ryan shook his head. “Not even his signature. That’s how I’ve been able to keep it a secret. As far as he’s concerned, we’ve never borrowed a cent. He’s been under the impression that all his rehabilitation has been covered by insurance. Because that’s the lie I told him. And I know that sounds terrible, and I know that it makes me sound like this horrible human being, but—”

“No, it doesn’t,” she said, cutting in. “You did what you had to do. I get it. I understand.”

“You do?”

“You were trying to help him, trying to protect him.”

“Yes, yes, that’s . . . that’s exactly what I was trying to do. All I ever wanted was for him to get better, to have my father back.”

“And that’s what happened? The plan worked, didn’t it? You got him back?”

Ryan permitted himself a small smile. “Yeah, I did. He’s obviously not the same as he was before the stroke, but the results have been amazing. He can stand and move around on his own without any need for a wheelchair, and where words used to get stuck in his throat, whole sentences now roll off the tongue. Don’t get me wrong, he still struggles—his memory is patchy, and he gets extremely tired, needs about fourteen hours of sleep a day, and every now and then he’ll slur a word or lose hold of a thought, but as time goes by, even that’s becoming more and more rare. Our neurologist says he’s one of the most remarkable recovery stories he’s ever seen. To get from where he was to where he is now, no one can quite believe it.”

“Then why did you say you feel like a horrible human being? Look at what’s happened. Your father got better because of you. The only reason he isn’t stuck in a nursing home somewhere is because of you.”