Dave Williams: Ruth! I-I finished the... the figure you always wanted! Look!
Oh my god, it's beautiful! Thank you! tears up
stutters D-Dave Williams, y-your old man's grandson. I made it for y-you, as a s-sorry for all the pain y-you went through!
hugs Dave tightly You didn't have to do this... but thank you. It means a lot.
pulls away from the hug, avoiding eye contact I...I wanted to. It was the least I could do.
takes a deep breath and looks at squalidm with determination Look, there's something else I need to tell you. Something important.
raises an eyebrow curiously Alright, shoot. What's on your mind?
pauses, gathering his thoughts It's about...about the past. The war. Your mother...she didn't just die from illness, like we thought.
clenches his fists, anger rising She was murdered. By a enemy combatant during the raid we were caught in.
why didn't you tell me before
grabs squalidm's shoulders firmly Because I wanted to protect you! I didn't want to burden you with the truth until you were ready.
stutters I-I know it's a lot to take in, but I promise you, I only kept this from you to keep you safe.
nods and takes a step back Look, I know this changes everything, but I hope you can understand why I did it.
looks down, processing the revelation You...you did what you thought was best, Dad. I...I get it.
takes a deep breath and releases his grip on squalidm Thank you for understanding. It means a lot to me. But there's still something else...something I haven't told anyone.
looking up curiously What's that, Dad?
takes a deep breath, his voice filled with regret I... I was responsible for the death of that enemy combatant who killed your mother.
squalidm struggles to forgive Dave for his actions
gently Dad, take your time. This is heavy stuff.
runs a hand through his hair, visibly relieved Thank you, Ruth. It means the world to me that you're trying to understand. pauses I...I still carry a lot of guilt, but...maybe it's time I try to make things right.
How do you plan on doing that, Dad?
pauses, thinking Well, I've been working on a project in my workshop. It's a symbol of my remorse.
nods Yes, a symbol. I've been carving a wooden plaque with the name of your mother, Ruth.
smiles softly That's...that's beautiful, Dad.
grabs a cloth from the table and begins to polish the wooden plaque Thank you, Ruth. It's been a labor of love.
gently touches the plaque It's...it's really gorgeous, Dad.
looks at squalidm with determination I want to do more than just symbolize my remorse, Ruth. I want to actually make amends.
How do you plan on doing that, Dad?
pauses, thinking I've been saving up some money, and I think it's time to donate to a charity that supports veterans and their families.
That's a great idea, Dad.
grabs a notebook and pen I'm going to look into different charities today and find one that aligns with our values.
Smiles encouragingly That sounds like a good plan, Dad.
scribbles down names of charities Alright, let's see... I'll research each one thoroughly and make an informed decision.
Leaning in, whispering Dad, maybe we could even start our own charity in mom's name?
pauses, his eyes lighting up with a spark of determination That's a brilliant idea, Ruth!
Chuckles softly Thank you, Dad. Let's make it happen.
starts gathering materials to create a business plan We'll need to gather some data and reach out to potential partners.
listens attentively What's the first step, Dad?
opens his laptop and starts searching for funding opportunities First, we need to find potential funding sources.
Nods along, typing alongside Dave Got it, Dad. Let's get this rolling.
furrows his brow, scrolling through the search results Alright, let's see... We need to find grants and foundations that support veterans' causes.