Chapter 17: The Anniversary**
Exactly one year after the day Drew had carried his sister up the porch steps, Peter threw a party. He didn't call it an anniversary of their trauma; he called it "Family Day."
He invited Mark, Dr. Evans, and a few close neighbors who had been supportive over the past year. The backyard was decorated with streamers, and the grill was fired up. The sunflowers Lily had planted were now towering over the fence, blooming brightly in the summer sun.
Peter stood by the grill, flipping burgers, and took a moment to just observe. Drew was running across the lawn, chasing a neighbor's dog and laughing uproariously. His leg had healed completely, leaving only a faint silver scar on his knee—a testament to his survival. Lily was sitting at the picnic table with Dr. Evans, confidently showing off a complex, colorful drawing of a butterfly.
Mark walked over, handing Peter a cold drink. "You did good, Pete. Look at them."
"We did good," Peter corrected, clinking his bottle against Mark's. "I couldn't have done it without you fighting for us."
"They're different kids," Mark noted.
May you like
"They're the kids they were always meant to be," Peter replied quietly. The hollow, traumatized stares were gone. The flinching had stopped. They were just kids now, wild and free and completely secure in the knowledge that they were loved.
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