Chapter 11 - THE WEDDING FALLON NO LONGER DESERVED TO CONTROL
Michael did not leave Fallon immediately.
Savannah expected him to.
He did not.
He loved her.
That complicated things.
He also demanded:
individual therapy,
financial transparency,
no wedding date,
no Prescott money rescuing FBL Events.
Fallon called it punishment.
Michael called it conditions.
Then he withdrew his remaining investment from FBL Events where legally possible.
Fallon’s company shrank.
Three employees stayed.
Nine left.
No family house money.
No Prescott bridge.
For the first time, Fallon had to operate at the size her revenue supported.
She hated it.
Then slowly became better at business.
Necessity finally taught what rescue prevented.
Savannah watched from distance.
No reconciliation yet.
Then Margaret lost access to most financial decision-making.
She remained in the house.
Lifetime occupancy still valid.
Savannah could have challenged based on misconduct.
She did not.
Why?
Because Andrew had given Margaret a home for life.
Savannah would not use anger to rewrite his clear choice.
Fallon called that weakness.
Then changed her mind months later.
Maybe strength.
Then Savannah moved into a small apartment near her new posting.
She had expected homecoming to mean returning to the Blake house.
Instead, home became somewhere else.
That hurt.
Also freed her.
Then Daniel brought her the handmade folder Andrew kept on both daughters.
Savannah’s contained:
school reports,
letters from deployment training,
one photograph of her changing the tire at sixteen.
Fallon’s contained:
business plans,
fashion sketches,
letters Andrew wrote but never sent.
Savannah asked:
“Why give me hers?”
“I’m not. I wanted you to know it exists.”
Good.
Boundaries.
Then Daniel said:
“Your father loved her too.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Savannah thought.
“Yes.”
The fraud had made it easy to turn Fallon into something less than sister.
But Andrew’s file reminded her Fallon had once been a girl trying to impress him with sketches.
Then Savannah asked:
“Did Dad love me more?”
Daniel answered:
“Different is not measurable.”
Good.
Then Fallon requested a meeting.
Savannah said no.
A month later, Fallon asked again.
Savannah said no.
Three months later:
yes.
May you like
Not forgiveness.
Timing.
