After both were inside, Marcus quickly shut the door, and then he went to shut the window Ronald had climbed out from.

“Let’s talk right here so we don’t wake Cecilia up.” Marcus was in the back of the cabin; the same room Ronald escaped out from. When Ronald had obediently stepped in, Marcus shut the door behind him, not slamming it, but a little harder than normal.

“Alright, Ronald.” Marcus started. “I would like to know why you went out there just now.” He asked, already knowing the answer.

“I, uh..” .Ronald couldn’t look up at him. “I...wanted to, well, uh, see the p-poster better...”

“Why was that?” Marcus never took his eyes off him.

“Well, it, uh, just looked like, this was your face on it, and I, well, just wanted to see if, uh, that was right.”

“Before you got a clearer picture of it, did you already believe it was me on that poster?”

Ronald didn’t answer; he was far too afraid.

“Answer me.” He repeated, the anger getting a little stronger.

“I...uh...honestly, I was thinking...there was a chance it was...” Ronald was looking at the floor, wishing it would just open up and make him disappear.

“Well obviously, you did think it could’ve been me; why else would you have looked to begin with?”

Again, Ronald couldn’t answer. He was regretting everything already.

“What am I to assume, Ronald? You never trusted me?”

“Well, hey, th-that’s not true.” He finally replied. “I...I was surprised to see your face on it, but it doesn’t mean I think you did this.” He referred to the murder charge.

“But do you think it’s a possibility?”

Ronald hesitated; of course anyone could technically kill another person, but saying this directly to Marcus felt like it would be the biggest act of betrayal, if he was in fact, innocent.

“Ronald...” This time, Marcus started to tone his voice down. “I am not going to hurt you or Cecilia. Please...don’t be afraid to be honest with me. Just answer me this; is it possible that the charges on this poster could be true?”

“They...I guess...they could be, but anyone can do bad things! It doesn’t mean I think they are true! But if they’re not true, why would someone make this poster? Please...please tell me this is a lie...if it’s all a lie, I will rip this poster up and flush it down the toilet, and I will never talk about it again...”

“Ronald, I...I want you to take a good listen at everything I am about to tell you. I also don’t want you to be afraid, but if at any point, you want to just get up and leave, I won’t blame you. If you still have any distrust for me at this moment, you are right to have it. Firstly...” he sighed, “not everything I’ve told you since we’ve met has been true.”

Ronald was stunned, but he didn’t leave. As hurt as he was to hear that, it took a lot of courage on Marcus’ part to confess this.

“And this poster...it is not entirely wrong.” He finished, as though admitting himself to a death sentence.

“Dad...” Ronald was starting to cry. “Please tell me you’re lying...”

“I’m not. Now that you’ve seen this poster, there is nothing for me to hide any longer. There were things I kept hidden from you and Cecilia because, well, they would’ve been too horrible and devastating to take in. The part about me loving and caring about you two has always been true, but some things I’ve said about my recent past were a lie.”

“What parts?”

“Let me start from the beginning. Diane and I were at my own house, and I was getting ready to present a new robot I had designed...”

- - - - - -

It was less than an hour before an explosion would set the forest ablaze. It was not Diane who was working on a project, but Marcus was. His mind was also distracted because he was going to propose to her that night, and as a result, he had made some errors.

“Marcus, this isn’t the right kind of wire.” Diane informed him.

“Oh...crud, I can’t believe I would do that.” He shook his head upon noticing what he did.

“I can go back to my house and get the right ones.”

“No no, it’s okay. Actually, this is perfect because this’ll give me a chance to do another errand.”

He was referring to the engagement band, one element of his story that was still true.

“Ah, well, don’t let me stop you! You go take care of that.”

He set out to go buy some of the wire that he needed. After that, he would go buy the Engagement Band. If she ended up asking him why it took so long to get back, he would just say there was an unusually long line.

Getting the band took an additional twenty minutes on top of getting the appropriate wires for his project. Would that be long enough to raise questions? He hoped not, but it would soon turn out not to matter. When he was about a three-minute walk from home, it happened.

The fire.

- - - - - -

“And as you could surely guess, fire was started by a mistake I had made! Somehow, I was being so careless with the building of my robot that it started the fire that...that took Diane...it was my fault that...that she isn’t here anymore...”

Ronald was shocked by this revelation, but so far, Marcus still didn’t seem like the kind of bad guy the poster was making him out to be.

“But it sounds like it was an accident; you would never hurt her on purpose, right???”

“Of course not, but I’m the one responsible for what happened...her blood is on my hands.”

“But I’m sure police would understand; this poster makes it look like you wanted to kill her, but that’s a lie!”

“It is...but there is more to this story yet...what else do you see on the poster?”

Ronald tried to read on, and he read charges that not only did he “murder” Diane, but that he also “murdered” many other animals and humans besides her.

“No way that’s true; I thought it was only Diane who died...unless that’s also untrue?”

“Diane was indeed not the only victim...others had lost their lives in the resulting fire. You see, it wasn’t just a simple house fire that could be taken out within an hour...it was an explosion that destroyed not only the house, but also several other houses and trees in its vicinity. There was no way Diane was going to be the only victim.”

“An explosion?” Ronald was surprised. “That’s weird, it was an explosion that destroyed our forest too! How could there be two of the exact same accident on the exact same day?”

“No, Ronald...that explosion that destroyed my house and everything around it was the only explosion that day...”

“But how? You told me and Cecilia you didn’t live in the forest we did...unless...that’s also a lie?”

“You...you’re right. I lied to you about that.” Marcus’ voice got lower, as he was about to confess the unthinkable.

“The fire that destroyed everything you and Cecilia have ever known...was started by none other that...myself.”

Ronald was rendered speechless once again. This whole time...that kindly wolf that rescued him and his sister from their doom was the same one who had put them there to begin with. The same kindly wolf who had pledged his protection and fatherhood over them was the same one who burned down the only place of protection they had ever known, despite its flaws. The same kindly wolf who risked his life to protect him and Cecilia from that bear was the same wolf who caused them to experience what it’s like to be on death’s doorstep. The only thing that could come out from Ronald’s mouth was a cutting, direct query.

“Why...why did you lie to us about this? I was so happy that I could finally trust you to be my dad, and then I find out you fibbed?” Ronald was more upset at Marcus’ subterfuge than his horrifying and fatal mistake. He couldn’t be mad at a sincere accident, but his dad’s lies cut into him like a dagger.

“I am sorry that I did speak all those lies to you two, though that hardly makes this okay...” He turned around briefly to wipe some tears from his eyes. “I lied to protect myself, of course, especially since none of this was on purpose. I also didn’t want you two to believe I was some monster who liked killing people.”

“Well...” Ronald started, “I don’t think that about you, even though I’m still mad that you lied.”

“Would you have even considered trusting me had I told you from the start I was responsible for basically ruining your life? You had a hard time trusting me even when you knew nothing about me; if you had known the truth from the start, you and Cecilia would’ve fled from me in a heartbeat.”

Ronald couldn’t disagree with that; believing he had been innocent the whole time had gotten him closer to Paradise Valley. Had he run from him from the start, who knows where he would’ve been?

“So, I guess if you were running away so you wouldn’t get caught, why did you stop to help me and Cecilia? Weren’t you afraid someone was going to find you?”

“I was, but when I noticed you and her caught in the mood, I knew in myself I couldn’t walk off while a couple of young children were stuck and needed help. I had already ruined so many lives, the very least I could’ve done was save two of them. Even with the wrongs I have committed, I can at least say I did right by you and your sister.”

Also true; Ronald couldn’t disagree he and his sister were much better off now. It still seemed true that Marcus was far more caring than Mr, and Mrs. Hill were.

“I am still thankful that you saved us, but now I wonder...if saving our lives was your only goal with us, how come you said yes when I asked if you could be our dad? It seemed like you didn’t have to do that...”

“You’re right; I could’ve said no and just found another orphanage for you two. I didn’t do that because...I really wanted children someday to call my own...and Diane and I looked forward to that dream. When she left this world, that dream was eliminated, but when I saw you and Cecilia stuck and in need of help...I...I wanted to take that chance to become someone’s dad. I’m sorry, that is selfish of me, but one reason why I wanted to take care of you both was to see what it was like. I have always wanted children to love and take care of, to teach and to raise up into adulthood. Even though I couldn’t be married to Diane anymore, at least I was able to know what it’s like to be a dad, and to give you two the opportunity to have a father again. I’m sorry...if you’re starting to distrust me again, I would understand...”

It was now Marcus who couldn’t bring himself to look at Ronald. The child tried to let everything sink in and process. So when he had asked if Marcus could adopt him and Cecilia, he was unknowingly fulfilling a deep desire that he had. He wanted to be a dad to them, despite being a completely different animal, but why didn’t he ask? It probably would’ve come off as forceful and presumptuous. He wondered if that whole time, Marcus wanted either him or Cecilia to ask, and loved them enough to let them make their own decision. Ronald had never concluded that Marcus had malicious intentions; he had never seen him ever try to hurt anyone. He was merely the victim of some terrible circumstances; he was distracted by wanting to ask Diane to marry him, and he made some mistakes that caused his project to explode and ultimately kill people, including her.

He felt so sorry for the wolf. Even now, after all he had confessed, he was giving Ronald the chance to leave if he wanted. He could go back, wake up his sister, and just go elsewhere with her, and Marcus would do nothing about that. It also occurred to him that Marcus could’ve easily killed him and buried him and the poster to cover up his tracks. Cecilia would ask where her brother was, and Marcus could just tell her he suddenly ran away in the middle of the night. This wolf really messed a lot of things up, but he was no monster.

And most of all, he was still Dad.

“I know, some example I’ve been, right?” Marcus continued. “I had the nerve to try to teach you and Cecilia about salvation earlier, and yet I wasn’t being honest to you about everything else. You could leave right now, and I won’t stop you. You deserve a better father than myself.”

Ronald shook his head. “No...” He walked up to Marcus, and hugged him.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“You’re the only dad that I ever want. “ He was now starting to cry. “I know that you still care about me and my sister, and we can still be a happy family together.”

Marcus was touched, wiping his own eyes again. His son still trusted him, despite having admitted to lying and destroying his home.

“Thank you, that means the world to me...but are you sure you still want to trust me?”

Ronald nodded. “I cannot trust anyone else, and...when you were teaching me and Cecilia stuff from the Bible, you told us that there’s nothing so bad and awful that God can’t forgive, and that we should do that for each other too. I did wrong to you when we first met, and said things about you that weren’t true, but you forgave me and let me become your son. You also did wrong to me and my sister, but I also forgive you. I believed you when you said you didn’t mean it, and it’s not fair that I would be angry at you all the time for that.”

Marcus smiled; Ronald did pick up on what he was trying to teach them.

“You told us that God forgives us for everything bad we’ve done; every sin, just by trusting in what Jesus did for us. I mean, if God can forgive us so easily like that, I should do the same for you.”

Marcus picked his son up and returned the hug; the two remained this way for a good few minutes. Marcus was amazed that Ronald not only forgave him, but also still trusted him. He wouldn’t have faulted him for not doing the latter, but somehow, Ronald still saw something in him that was worth his trust. Maybe it was that the crimes he committed couldn’t overshadow or nullify the good he had done for them, or maybe it was the vulnerability and honesty he displayed that let Ronald know there was nothing about him to be afraid of.

Or maybe it was that both of them had been broken to pieces, and they both realized they needed help from each other in getting back on their feet.

Like a good family.

Ronald turned his attention back to the poster, now knowing that it was only half-true. Its depiction of Marcus as a heartless killer was a lie, and it had to be done away with. There wasn’t much he could do, but at the very least, he could deal with disposing this poster.

“Want to rip this up and flush this down then? I’ll gladly help.” Marcus offered.

“That would be fun.”

So the two of them took to ripping up the poster into tiny shreds, rendering silent the slander printed on it. Even though there were more posters out there, at least this was a start. After they had reduced it to confetti through repeated tearing, they took care to get every bit of it into the toilet. It took a long time, but it was worth the effort.

“I think you should do the flushing.” Ronald wanted his dad have the best part.

“My pleasure.” He pressed down on the metallic lever, and they watched the confetti spiral rapidly down the pipe until it was no more.

“So dad...what are we going to do when we get to Paradise Valley? Do you think anyone would be looking for you there?”

“No doubt...I’m afraid I am going to have to face the music sooner or later.”

“What does that mean?”

“It just means I’m going to have to answer those charges to others at some point; we can’t stay isolated forever. I just hope that on the day I have to answer for everything, I get the chance to explain what really happened.”

Would they, though? Whoever put the poster together was clearly trying to shine him in the worst possible light. It could’ve been someone who maybe had an axe to grind with him, and was using this terrible tragedy as a pretense for doing so.

Ronald hated the idea of his dad being caught and put in jail (or worse), even though he wasn’t technically innocent. He wondered if they should try getting as far away from here as possible instead of settling in the Valley.

Marcus peeked through the blinds to see if anyone had noticed the poster was now missing. Nobody was even outside, let alone near the light pole. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be long until someone would find out.

“Let’s get some sleep and then leave before it starts getting light.” Marcus suggested. “Good night, son, I love you.”

“I love you too, dad.”

So the two of them returned to the bed and tried to get however much sleep they could within the next few hours. The day ahead was going to be long.

- - - - - -

“Cecilia, let’s go.” Marcus nudged her, trying for the third time to wake her up.

“Huh? Why are we waking now?” She asked, disoriented and still seeing only the pre-dawn darkness around her.

“We’re starting early today so we can get to Paradise Valley sooner. We’ll have a quick breakfast and then go.” He said to her, not even sounding panicked or rushed.

It was about five in the morning. Ronald was also up, eating a bowl of cereal at the kitchen table. Her dad prepared one for her, along with a small cup of water.

“We’ll leave in about ten minutes.” He told them.

“Are we taking our stuff?” She asked him, referring to all the goodies he bought for them yesterday.

“Yes, everything is packed up and bagged for me to carry, except the footwear you wore yesterday.”

Ronald was already wearing his footwear from yesterday, ready to leave. Unlike Marcus, he was rushing to finish up; hurriedly stuffing spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth and trying to swallow immediately instead of taking his time to chew.

“Ronald, take your time!” His dad sternly warned. “You want to choke to death? Is your cereal trying to escape from you?”

He slowed down, but still wanted to rush. His sister didn’t know why he was in a hurry. Maybe he was just really excited to finish this journey.

Marcus put their bowls in the sink when they were done; he would leave a note on the door that the cabin was now vacant, and a cleaning crew would take care of any outstanding messes. He also remembered to leave payment on the table since they had stayed for more than one night.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

So the three promptly set out in the dark. The sun would be rising in about an hour, and by then, Marcus expected to be well out-of-sight. The weather was a little chilly, but at least there was no rain to wash them away. Marcus realized he probably should’ve bought them something to keep them warm, but he had to accept that ship had already sailed; he couldn’t risk staying here another day, especially with that poster now missing.

Upon leaving town, the road began its slight incline, and it appeared it was going to hang a right up ahead.

”Perfect, I’ll be hidden from view.”

Or so he thought...

“Marcus!” Someone behind them called. Ronald’s blood ran cold for a second before his dad replied to the familiar voice.

“Phil? You kinda scared me for a moment.” Marcus said. “I had no idea you were following me.”

“I just saw you start leaving...and I know why you are, especially so early and discreetly.” He lowered his voice.

“...Why?”

“I know about the poster, Marcus, nearly everyone does. People are going to notice it was taken down.”

Ronald was about to throw up, and Marcus didn’t say anything; bracing himself to fight his former classmate if needed.

“You needn’t worry though, I’ve got your back.” He gave them a reassuring smile. “I know the truth, and it’s repulsive how you’re being depicted. You’re a good guy, and I know what happened was an accident.”

“Wow, uh, thank you. It makes me happy to hear that.” He smiled in return.

“Of course, and I’m going to do what I can to make sure everyone knows the truth. Of course, I can’t promise I’ll stop you from being punished in some way, but after the truth gets out, I know it’s not going to be anything too severe. You deserve a happy life with...are these your kids?”

“Yes, I started to take care of them the same night as the fire, and they actually wanted me to be their dad.”

“That is very sweet; they were lucky to be found by you. But anyhow, I will stay behind and convince the authorities and city government that what happened was on accident, and get them to take down the other posters they put up around the city.”

“Are any of the posters up in Paradise Valley yet?”

“I don’t think so; it actually might be too far for anyone to consider, since it’s so far from the forest. Still, just be careful about being seen by too many people, and I’ll meet you up there in a few days.”

“Of course, and thank you again.”

“Not a problem!”

Marcus and Ronald felt much safer after that encounter. There were others on Marcus’ side that believed the truth and wanted to make sure others knew it. It seemed like life in Paradise Valley was going to be peaceful after all.

The darkness in the sky soon became light, and as common as the sight was for others, it was unusual for the two children. They were rarely ever up before sunrise, as they never had to worry about work or chores. On top of that, there were always trees around them, so they could only get a good view of the sky if they climbed to the canopy.

“The sky is pretty.” Cecilia commented as the blackness of it above her had given way to a hue of blue that was still dark, but allowed for the stars to remain visible and display their splendor.

“It sure is; despite all we’ve been through, we can still enjoy beautiful things like this...” Marcus replied, and as he looked up, he thought of Diane.

”You’re up there somewhere, and I wish you could still be a part of my life. At least...at least I know our separation is only for a moment...”

- - - - - -

By noon, Ronald was lying down on Marcus’ back, while Cecilia was taking a nap inside one of the bags holding their things. Marcus wanted a little rest too, but they were much too close to home now that he couldn’t just stop.

”There...that’s the peak! I’m sure we’ll be able to see Paradise Valley from there!” He picked up his pace; his legs fighting against the rocky incline. He reached the top of the hill, and gazed out at the land before him.

There it was, Paradise Valley. The land was swathed in a pure blanket of greens, blues, yellows, and pinks. The valley was compassed all around by walls of purples, silver, and dark blue cliff walls, and there were also waterfalls that cascaded down their edifices and reflected gleams of sunlight. The waterfalls all spilled over into rivers that all converged into a singular vast lake in the center of the valley. Around the lake was the valley’s main town, and due to the lake, it bore a unique circular form that circumferenced that body of water. There appeared to be several smaller settlements that lined the rivers, and that appealed more to Marcus at the moment.

”Until I know this whole thing has blown over, we should stay out of the main town down there.”

This valley seemed like it’d be the perfect place to live and raise a family. There was an ever-abundant flow of water, which meant there would also never be a dearth of food. The cliffs’ presence also gave the impression of protection and fortitude. There were very few ways of actually getting into the valley, not to mention it was hard to get here to begin with. It was tucked deep into the mountains, which sheltered it from possible threats like armies and diseases.

“Kids, wake up! We’re just about there.”

Ronald’s eyes popped open, as though those were the magic words. He clambered up onto Marcus’ head and beheld the view.

“Th-this is Paradise Valley?”

“It certainly is!”

The place was more beautiful and more spacious than he first pictured it. This was a place that looked like home.”

“Get up, sleepyhead!” He urged Cecilia, who was taking her sweet time. She poked her head out of the bag and looked at the land of pleasantness and pulchritude before her.

“Is that our new home?”

“Yep, this is Paradise Valley. It was a long journey, but I’d say it was worth it, wouldn’t you?”

The children heartily agreed.

So Marcus began his descent down the hill and into the valley; both children now running alongside him. They were thrilled to finally be here.

Home sweet home.