The Descent

Chapter 36 - The Truth

Jonythan, visibly shaken, stared at the image, tears now streaming down his cheeks. He took a long, shaky breath and gently touched the woman in the photo with his fingers. Denton saw the faint traces of a smile as the eyes of Jonythan never left the photo.

"You knew her," Denton said quietly.

Jonythan sighed and nodded. "I did." He paused and let his eyes linger on the photo a little longer. "We met during the time I was filling in for the ambassador. It was one of those government receptions, you know, where everyone that is someone is in attendance. It was opulent and extravagant. She caught my eye immediately. She was beautiful," he said and held up the photo. He then quickly turned to Gabi, whose expression was difficult to read. "This was before I met your mother, Gabi."

"What happened?"

"Well, at first, we hit it off. She was funny, intelligent and really seemed genuinely interested in me as a person, not what I could do for her. We started meeting more often, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, we had a shared apartment." He stole another glance at the photo."

"It didn't last?"

Jonythan shook his head. "It might have if the circumstances had been different. Or, at least, that's what I tell myself. She had no desire to leave Proxima b, and at the time, my business was only just starting to take hold there. Most of my business was elsewhere. It would have been unreasonable for me to headquarter my operations there, on Proxima b. I desperately wanted for her to join me on Earth, but it just wasn't meant to be. When my commission as a stand-in Ambassador was over, I had to return to Earth. I knew how she felt about it so I just...left."

"You left her without saying goodbye?" Gabi spit out, eyes wide open, her face red. "You left her, all by herself? How could you?"

Jonythan looked at Gabi, tears in his eyes and nodded. "I did. I'm not proud of it. But, at the same time, if I could go back and do it all over again, would I do anything different? I don't know. I left her with enough funds to live comfortably for the rest of her life, an apartment, everything she might need."

"Not everything," Gabi said as she glared at her father. "You weren't there."

"It's easy to say now, all these years later. When I came back, I regretted my hasty departure. I couldn't believe I had been so stupid, but it was too late. I tried to get in touch with her again, but she was gone. The apartment we shared was empty. Not long after that, I met your mother. We hit it off, you and your brother came along and, well, the rest is history."

"So just like that, you discarded her."

"Gabi, dear, yes I was hasty, but I also tried to make it right. It was just too late. I was foolish, I admit. On the other hand, Gabi, if that hadn't happened, you and your brother never would have been born. So, of course, I regret it but at the same time, how can I? I don't regret you."

"You never even met your son," Gabi whispered.

"I didn't know I had one," Jonythan shouted as he stood up and threw his hands up in the air, frustrated. He walked over to the railing by the window, his back towards them. He bowed his head and soon Denton saw his shoulders move up and down. One of the wealthiest men in the universe was sobbing over a son he never met.

"Well, you might still be able to make things right," Denton said. "Help us find your missing son."

Jonythan remained quiet for a few more minutes as he continued to gaze out over the landscape within the dome. Denton wished he could peer into the mind of the magnate, to see what he was thinking and feeling. The truth of a lost son had obviously hit him like a ton of bricks, and Denton knew he'd have to be careful. The last thing he needed was for Jonythan to turn into some emotional wreck.