PART 3: MOVING FORWARD

Once the portrait healed, Dustin met with an artist who specialized in complicated cover-ups.

The artist warned that removing Barbra’s face would require several sessions.

“I don’t care how long it takes,” Dustin said.

I drove him to every appointment.

Sometimes we talked. Other times, we sat quietly. The tattoo could be changed with ink, but rebuilding his trust would take much longer.

Barbra eventually told Stephen’s parents everything.

They invited Stephen and Dustin to their home and asked Dustin to explain the agreement in his own words.

Stephen tried to interrupt twice, but his father stopped him.

“Let your son finish.”

When Dustin had told the entire story, his grandfather looked at Stephen.

“You made your child believe he had to trade part of his body for an education.”

Stephen attempted to defend himself.

His mother cut him off.

“If you promised that boy college tuition, you will honor your promise.”

For the first time, Stephen had to explain his actions in front of the people who had raised him.

Several days later, he called me.

“I’ll pay the tuition.”

“All four years?”

There was a long pause.

“Yes.”

The following week, he paid the university directly and arranged scheduled payments for the remaining years.

That evening, Dustin sat across from me at the kitchen table.

“You never would have asked me to do something like that, would you?”