Marija sighs, her fingers scrolling through an old tabloid article about Brad Pitt’s latest custody battle. “Joe, you need to let go of the past. Brad’s a good man. He’s not drinking anymore, and he deserves weekends with his kids.”
Joe, leaning back in his chair, crosses his arms. “Mom, BP abandoned East Van when we needed him the most. When things got real, he ran off to his Hollywood fortress. That’s not what a leader does.”
Marija shakes her head. “People make mistakes. He’s trying to redeem himself.”
Joe, also known in the online world as Solid Snake, exhales sharply. “You think I don’t want to believe that? But it’s not about what he wants. It’s about what he did. A man’s legacy is written in his worst moments, not his best.”
Marija puts a hand on his arm. “Then give him a chance to change that legacy.”
Joe looks away, his jaw tightening. “That’s why I put the UN beret on him. Like the medal the Cowardly Lion gets in The Wizard of Oz. Maybe if he wears it long enough, he’ll start believing he has courage.”
