The Starling Saviour

Chapter 63

'You look... Nice,' Tommy complimented me as much as he could without breaking the boundaries of friendship.

'So do you,' I smiled back, almost smirking at his attire. 'I never thought I'd see you dressed like that, Tommy Merlyn.'

'Does it look bad?' Tommy vainly worried about his appearance at once.

'No, you just look... Sensible,' I laughed at his reaction. 'You never used to be sensible, well, until now.'

'I'm not twenty-one anymore, Aria,' he rolled his eyes at me. 'I'm nearly thirty, remember? I'm old.'

'I can never imagine you old,' I joked sarcastically. 'You're always going to be the immature boy I first met back in... What was it, '06?'

'That seems like a long time ago now,' Tommy said, a bit shocked. 'How did time go by so quickly?'

'I have no idea,' I joined in with Tommy as we marvelled about time, more people passing us to get into the building in time for the start of the Gala. 'We should probably go inside, so we can get a good view of your dad actually getting the award. There would be no point in us being here if we can't see properly.'

'Good idea,' Tommy agreed as we entered, the gigantic lobby area of the Merlyn Global Group building being flooded by a sea of people, all there to watch Malcolm Merlyn receive the prestigious Humanitarian Award. 'My dad has a lot of friends.'

'Oh really, I hadn't noticed,' I commented back sarcastically, but before Tommy could shoot some other arrogant response back, Lieutenant Pike stood at the podium on the raised stage facing the sizeable audience.

'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,' Pike began with addressing us. 'Now, tonight's honouree needs very little introduction. It is neither his wealth nor his name that we celebrate here tonight, but it is his efforts in making Starling City a better and safer place to live. So, please help me welcome Starling City's humanitarian of the year, Mr Malcolm Merlyn.'

We all broke into applause as we saw Malcolm walk onto the stage to collect his award, standing behind the podium like the Lieutenant had previously been. I caught Malcolm's eye as he looked back at his audience, I sending him a smile of good luck.

'Thank you, everyone, for coming this evening,' Malcolm started his speech as confidently as ever. 'Now, accepting this award is something I am proud to do, not because of my own efforts to make this city a better place, but for someone else who should've been up here, on this stage, instead of me. The true humanitarian in the Merlyn family was my wife, Rebecca. Many of you here knew her.'

I could sense Tommy's reaction as soon as his mother as mentioned, a melancholic but somehow happy one. Intertwining my fingers with his, Tommy looked at me in thanks as we continued to hold hands.

'She tirelessly devoted herself to helping those less fortunate in the Glades,' Malcolm carried on strongly in his heartfelt sermon about his wife. 'I like to think that of the man who murdered her knew her, knew the work that she did, knew the person that she was, he would have helped her to her car, made sure she was safe, instead of stealing her purse and shooting her.'

As Malcolm noticeably teared up and looked Tommy in the eye, Tommy did the same, squeezing my hand tighter and then turning to me to show his gratitude for my support.

'The truth is, I haven't done enough for this city, my city. I failed it. But I promise you, I am not finished yet; I promise you that this city will be better for all of us. And on that day, I will look at this beautiful award and feel that I have earned it. I thank you.'