Chapter 10
Three months later.
It was a warm Saturday afternoon in October.
Noah and Lila were running around the backyard, chasing each other with leaves, screaming with laughter.
Sarah and I sat on the porch, drinking iced tea, watching them.
“Can you believe it?” Sarah said, smiling. “A year ago, I thought I’d never see Lila happy again. I thought I’d never be happy again.”
“Me too,” I said. “I thought Ryan would win. I thought I’d lose everything.”
Mia walked out with a tray of cookies, Jake right behind her.
Jake and his wife had worked things out. They were coming over for dinner every weekend now.
Deputy Reed was there too, off duty, holding her two-year-old daughter, who was trying to grab a cookie off the tray.
Life was good.
Noah ran over to me, his face red from running.
“Mommy! Lila says we can have a sleepover at her house next weekend! Can we? Please?”
I laughed.
“Of course, baby. As long as it’s okay with Sarah.”
Sarah nodded, grinning.
“More than okay. We’ll build the biggest fort ever. Watch all the dinosaur movies. Eat ice cream for breakfast.”
Noah cheered and ran back to Lila.
I looked at the people around me.
My sister.
My best friend.
A cop who’d chosen to do the right thing.
A woman who’d become my sister in every way that mattered.
And my son.
Happy.
Safe.
Free.
I thought back to that Sunday afternoon, to Linda walking through my front door, to Ryan slapping me, to the fear that had consumed me for months.
I’d been so scared.
So sure I couldn’t win.
But I had.
Not because I was strong.
Not because I was rich.
Not because I had power.
But because I’d refused to give up.
Because I’d found people who were willing to stand with me, to fight with me, even when it was scary.
Because the truth, in the end, always wins.
Jake handed me a cookie.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
I smiled.
“Just thinking about how lucky I am.”
Mia squeezed my shoulder.
“You earned it, sis. You fought like hell for it.”
I looked back at Noah.
He was sitting on the grass now, Lila next to him, showing her a drawing he’d made.
It was of our family.
Me.
Him.
Aunt Mia.
Aunt Sarah.
Cousin Lila.
Uncle Jake.
Aunt Reed.
And in the corner, a big red X over two stick figures labeled “Dad” and “Grandma.”
He looked up and saw me watching.
He waved, grinning.
I waved back.
The sun set over the backyard, painting the sky pink and orange.
Somewhere, a dog barked.
The kids laughed.
And for the first time in my life, I knew exactly where I was supposed to be.
Home.
With the people I loved.
May you like
Safe.
And finally, truly happy.
