Nah found him at the kitchen table staring at his phone with an expression somewhere between bewilderment and exhaustion. “You’re famous, Dad,” she said, sliding into the chair across from him. “There are news vans outside. Mrs. Patterson from next door called to ask if you’d always been a secret lawyer or if this was like a superhero origin story.

” Lucas laughed despite himself. “What did you tell her? that you were always a lawyer. You just took a break to be a better dad. Which is true. Nah poured herself cereal, studied him over the bowl. How does it feel? Overwhelming. Exhausting. Good. I think I don’t know yet. Are you going back to being a lawyer full-time? It was the question Lucas had been avoiding since the verdict was read.

He’d won the case, proven he could still practice law at the highest level, reminded himself why he’d love this work in the first place, but he’d also remembered why he’d left. The late nights, the stress, the way cases could consume everything until there was no room left for anything else. I don’t know, he admitted.

I loved being back in court, but I also love the life we’ve built. I don’t want to lose that. You won’t, Nah said with the certainty of someone who’d thought about this more than he had, because you’re not the same person you were before. You know what matters now. You won’t forget. He hoped she was right.

That afternoon, Evelyn called asking if they could meet. Lucas drove to Aquaver’s offices, found her in the conference room that had served as their war room for months. The boxes were gone now. The space returned to its normal function. But the whiteboard still had remnants of their trial preparation, timeline notes, witness lists, strategy discussions.

I can’t stop looking at it, Evelyn said when Lucas entered. Proof that it actually happened, that we actually won. We did. Lucas sat across from her. How are you holding up? Honestly, I’m not sure. Part of me is elated. We won. Aqua Verde is safe. Meridian can’t touch us. But another part is just tired. This case consumed a year of my life.

Now it’s over and I don’t quite know what to do with myself. That’s normal. Big victories can feel surprisingly hollow sometimes. Evelyn smiled slightly. Spoken from experience. Years ago, yes. When I won cases, I wasn’t sure I should have won. This is different though. We won because we were right. That should feel good. It does.

Mostly. She paused. Lucas, I asked you here because I want to make you an offer. Actually, Sarah helped me put this together. She’s outside, by the way. Should I call her in? Please. Sarah entered carrying a folder and wearing an expression that suggested she knew something Lucas didn’t. They sat on either side of him, and Evelyn opened the folder.

Aquaverie is growing faster than I expected, Evelyn began. The publicity from the trial has brought attention to what we do. We’re getting requests from communities around the world, contracts from governments and NOS’s. We’re going to need to expand operations significantly. And as we grow, we’re going to face more legal challenges.

Maybe not as dramatic as Meridian, but contract negotiations, regulatory compliance, intellectual property protection. We need legal counsel. Lucas saw where this was going. Evelyn, let me finish. I’m not asking you to become a full-time corporate attorney again. I know that’s not what you want, but what if you could do both? What if you worked for Aquaverie part-time, handling our legal needs, consulting on cases as they arise, but on your own terms? Set your own hours.

Work from home when you need to. Keep doing carpentry if you want. Be there for Nina, but also use your legal skills for something that matters. Sarah slid a document across the table. I took the liberty of drafting a proposal. Part-time counsel, flexible schedule, fair compensation. You’d essentially be building a law practice that fits your life, not the other way around.

Lucas read through the proposal, his mind racing. It was exactly what he hadn’t known he wanted. A way to use his legal training without sacrificing the balance he’d fought so hard to maintain. a way to practice law ethically for clients who actually deserved representation on terms that respected his priorities.

This is incredibly generous, he said. It’s not generous, it’s smart, Evelyn corrected. You saved my company, Lucas. You did in a few months what Brighton couldn’t do in a year. You’re brilliant, ethical, and you actually care about doing the right thing. Those qualities are rare in attorneys.

I’d be an idiot not to try to keep you. And selfishly, Sarah added, “I’d love to keep working with you. Brighton’s firm fired me three days ago for disloyalty when I helped you prepare for trial. I’ve already accepted a position here as Aquaver’s lead parillegal. We make a good team. We could do real good together.” Lucas looked at both of them, these women who’d become partners and friends through the crucible of trial.

He thought about the cases they could take, the people they could help, the way they could use law as a tool for justice rather than oppression. He thought about Nenah, about the life they’d built, about Friday nights at Jeppes and helping with homework and being present for the moments that mattered. He thought about the courthouse where he’d worked as a janitor, about the witness stand he’d repaired, about the moment he’d stood up and said, “I’ll take her case,” without any idea where that decision would lead. “Can I think about

it?” he asked. Of course, take all the time you need. But Lucas already knew his answer. He just wanted to talk to Nah first. That night at dinner, he laid out Evelyn’s offer. Nah listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions about time commitment and flexibility and what it would mean for their daily routine.

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