The Almighty God of Law

His only friend

The Ritz was everything the small restaurant was not. Crystal chandeliers. White tablecloths. Soft music playing in the background. Waiters in crisp suits moved silently between tables.

Leo looked around. His eyes were wide. His hands were clammy.

"Ezekiel, this place is too expensive. We can't afford this. Let's go somewhere cheaper. I don't mind. Really."

Ezekiel sat down. He picked up the menu. His face was calm.

"Sit down, Leo. Order whatever you want."

Leo didn't move. He stood there. Fidgeting.

"I'm serious. This is too much. We can find a burger joint. A diner. Anything."

Ezekiel looked up. His eyes were firm.

"Sit down. Please."

Leo hesitated. Then he sat. He grabbed the menu. His hands were shaking.

"I can't order anything. Look at these prices. A steak costs more than my rent."

Ezekiel sighed. He waved at the waiter. The man came over. Professional. Polite.

"Yes, sir?"

Ezekiel didn't look at the menu. He spoke from memory.

"He'll have the ribeye. Medium rare. With truffle mashed potatoes. And a glass of the 2015 Cabernet."

The waiter nodded. He wrote it down.

"And for you, sir?"

Ezekiel closed his menu.

"The same. But make his steak well done. He never liked it rare."

Leo stared at him. His mouth hung open.

"How did you... I haven't eaten here before. How do you know what I like?"

Ezekiel smiled. It was a soft smile. Genuine.

"Because you're my friend, Leo. I remember."

Leo leaned back. His eyes glistened.

He remembered too. The old days. Before Grace. Before everything.

They had been inseparable. Leo had been there for him through everything. When Ezekiel's parents had cut him off one time. When he had nothing. When he was struggling.

Leo had gotten him jobs. Any job. Anything to keep him afloat. Construction. Delivery. Factory work. It didn't matter. Leo made sure Ezekiel had food in his stomach and a roof over his head.

"Remember that warehouse job?" Leo asked. "The one where we had to carry those heavy boxes all night?"

Ezekiel laughed. A genuine laugh.

"I remember. My back hurt for a week."

"Your back? My legs gave out. I couldn't walk for two days."

They both laughed. It felt good. Normal. Like the old times.

Then Ezekiel's face grew serious. His eyes darkened.

"I never thanked you properly, Leo. For everything. You were there for me when no one else was. You gave me jobs. You gave me hope. You helped me take care of that family."

He paused. His jaw tightened.

"That family that was never really mine."

Leo looked down. He didn't know what to say.

The food arrived. The waiter placed the plates in front of them. The aroma was rich. Delicious.

Leo picked up his fork. He didn't eat. He just stared at his plate.

"We stopped talking," Leo said softly. "After you got married. After Grace."

Ezekiel nodded. His face was hollow.

"Grace and her family didn't want me to associate with losers. That's what they called you. That's what they called everyone from my past."

Leo flinched.

"I didn't know."

"I didn't tell you. I was ashamed. I let her control me. I let her push everyone away. Even you."

Ezekiel's voice cracked.

"And then there was Charlotte."

Leo's hand froze. His fork clattered onto the plate.

Charlotte. Grace's younger sister. Leo had been in love with her. Completely. Hopelessly. They had dated secretly. Behind everyone's backs.

When Grace's family found out, they sent Charlotte abroad. They shipped her off to Europe. They made sure Leo never saw her again.

"They sent her away because of me," Leo whispered. "Because I wasn't good enough. Because I was a loser."

"No." Ezekiel's voice was sharp. "They sent her away because they were cruel. Because they wanted to hurt us. Because they wanted to control everyone."

Leo looked up. His eyes were wet.

"I loved her, Ezekiel. I really loved her."

"I know. I'm sorry."

The silence stretched between them. Heavy. Painful.

Ezekiel reached across the table. He grabbed Leo's hand.

"Leo, listen to me. I can't explain everything right now. Not yet. But I need you to be patient with me. I promise I'll tell you everything when the time is right."

Leo blinked.

"What are you talking about? What's going on with you?"

Ezekiel pulled his hand back. He forced a smile.

"Assume I won a lottery. A big one. That's all you need to know for now."

Leo stared at him. His eyes searched Ezekiel's face.

"A lottery? You expect me to believe that?"

"Just trust me, Leo. Please."

Leo sighed. He picked up his fork again. He took a bite of his steak. The flavor exploded in his mouth.

"Okay," he said finally. "I'll trust you."

They ate in silence. The food was good. The wine was smooth. But the weight of unspoken words hung between them.

Leo cleared his throat. He looked at Ezekiel.

"Have you thought about going back to law school?"

Ezekiel paused. His fork stopped mid-air.

"What?"

"To finish what you started," Leo said. "You were good at it. Really good. You used to talk about it all the time. How you wanted to be a lawyer. How you wanted to help people."

Ezekiel set down his fork. His face was unreadable.

Leo leaned forward.

"After the wedding, you stopped talking about it. You told me you dropped out. You said it wasn't for you anymore. But I never believed that. You loved the law."

Ezekiel remained silent.

Leo continued.

"You should go back. Finish your degree. Become the lawyer you always wanted to be."

Ezekiel looked away. His jaw tightened.

It was true. He had lied to Leo. He had lied to everyone. When he left his law career for Grace, he had to explain it somehow. He couldn't tell the truth. He couldn't tell anyone he was the God of Law. That he had abandoned a legacy for love.

So he told them he never finished school. That he dropped out. That it was too hard. That it wasn't meant to be.

Grace had approved. She didn't want him to be a lawyer anyway. She wanted him to be normal. To work a normal job. To be a normal husband.

So he lied. To Leo. To everyone.

Ezekiel looked at his friend. His eyes were sad.

"Maybe," he said quietly. "Maybe one day."

Leo nodded. He didn't push further.

"Whenever you're ready, Ezekiel. I'll be there. I'll always be there."

Ezekiel's throat tightened. He blinked back the tears.

He had lost so much. His wife. His son. His parents. His home. His legacy.

But he still had Leo. The one person who had never given up on him.

That was something.

He raised his glass.

"To old friends."

Leo raised his glass too. Their glasses clinked.

"To old friends."

They drank. The wine was warm. The night was young.

But even in the warmth of the restaurant, Ezekiel felt the coldness of his past. He had a long way to go. Many people to confront. Many wrongs to right.

For now, he just enjoyed the company of his friend. His only friend.