Contents
Chapter 56
Overview
At the Phoenix Center’s opening, Keres manages anxiety while hosting allies and the Morettis. She apologizes to Mia, who offers hard-won compassion and urges Keres to forgive herself. When a traumatized family needs urgent intake, Keres clears the event, confronts an entitled donor, and coordinates with Ace and Romeo on how they will support residents.
Summary
Keres battles nerves before the Phoenix Center opening as Ace and Romeo reassure her of their unwavering support. At the event, Nathan James arrives, and the wealthy crowd gathers. The Moretti family enters, heightening Keres’s anxiety about facing Mia after the past.
Mia asks Lorenzo for space, then sits with Keres. Keres apologizes for abducting Mia, acknowledging the harm. Mia, referencing her own trauma and Lorenzo’s explanation of Keres’s past, recognizes moral complexity and urges Keres to practice self-forgiveness. Lorenzo checks in protectively, and Mia pointedly reminds Keres that the last person she needs to forgive is herself.
As the opening is deemed a success, a social worker, Jade, alerts Keres to a traumatized family of four arriving imminently. Keres and her partners swiftly clear the venue. A belligerent donor resists leaving; Ace and Romeo back Keres’s lead, intimidate the man, and remove the problem without a scene.
With the space secured, Keres considers how residents may perceive Ace and Romeo’s imposing presence. They agree to stay available but not be the first faces new arrivals see, prioritizing safety and comfort. Ace grounds Keres, promising they will adapt to make the center work, and she relaxes into his reassurance.
Who Appears
- Keres SiderisFounder of the Phoenix Center; apologizes to Mia, manages opening logistics, clears venue for first family.
- AceSupports Keres, helps clear the event, threatens rude donor, agrees to adapt visibility for residents.
- Romeo (Ace)Reassures Keres, coordinates dispersal of guests, disarms a belligerent donor, commits to supportive, unobtrusive presence.
- Mia MorettiHeavily pregnant; hears Keres’s apology, offers empathy, urges self-forgiveness.
- Lorenzo MorettiProtective spouse to Mia; watches the meeting, briefly intervenes, supportive presence.
- Nathan JamesAttends the opening; expresses interest and concern, notes Lorenzo endorsed the project.
- Kat MorettiWarmly greets Keres and praises the center; family mediator.
- Dante MorettiOffers greetings; speaks with Nathan; part of the family’s supportive presence.
- Joey MorettiAttends and offers polite greetings before stepping away.
- Max MorettiAttends and offers polite greetings before stepping away.
- JadeSocial worker who alerts Keres to a traumatized family arriving early.
- Unnamed banker donorEntitled guest who refuses to leave; cowed by Ace and Romeo.