Chapter 11: The First Milestone
Spring returned to Seattle, and with it came James’s first birthday.
They hosted a small, casual party in the backyard. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, drifting lazily onto the green lawn where Lily was showing her little brother how to crawl through a brightly colored play tunnel.
Mark stood on the patio, holding a plate of half-eaten cake, watching his children play. Lena walked up beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Can you believe it's been a year?" she murmured.
"A year since we met this little guy," Mark said, smiling as James let out a delighted squeal. "And over a year since we took our lives back."
Lena looked up at him, her eyes shining with gratitude. "You saved us, you know. That day in the kitchen. You chose us."
May you like
Mark turned to face her, setting his plate down on the patio table so he could hold her properly. "There was never a choice, Lena. It was always you. It will always be you."
They stood together in the afternoon sun, watching their children laugh in the grass. The shadows of the past had completely dissolved, replaced by the bright, unyielding light of the life they had fiercely protected and beautifully built.
