Chapter 14
Ashton took longer.
He left the estate for almost a year.
Worked in one of his personal businesses.
No Vale title.
No men saluting him.
No security command.
When he returned, it was because Elsie asked why “angry Ashton” disappeared.
Children create terrible nicknames.
I told him.
He laughed despite himself.
Then asked to see her.
I said:
“Maybe.”
He accepted maybe.
Progress.
Months later, Elsie agreed.
Ashton arrived with no gift.
Good.
He apologized for fighting me.
Elsie did not care.
Then he apologized for helping Nadine keep Elise secret.
That mattered more.
“Why?”
she asked.
He answered honestly.
“Because I wanted grown-up power.”
Elsie frowned.
“You grown up.”
I laughed.
Ashton did too.
“I wanted more.”
“Why?”
He had no answer a four-year-old needed.
So he said:
“I was being selfish.”
Good enough.
Elsie handed him a paintbrush.
“Paint.”
That was the meeting.
No restored role afterward.
Important.
One good afternoon with a child does not make someone fit for command.
Families blur those things too often.
Ashton remained outside operations.
He eventually stopped asking when that would change.
Maybe because he found other work meaningful.
May you like
Maybe because he finally understood the answer might be never.
Both were survivable.
