Chapter 10 - Rebuilding Heaven
One year later, the scent of blooming jasmine and salty coastal air drifted through the open windows of our new home.
We had sold the old house in Chesapeake—the house with the dark hallway closet and the bad memories—and purchased a charming, light-filled craftsman cottage on the quiet waters of the Lynnhaven River in Virginia Beach.
There were no padlocks here. Every door in the house was painted soft white, the rooms were filled with natural sunlight, and the hallway closet was packed with fluffy pastel beach towels, board games, and Lily’s watercolor paintings.
“Mama! Look! The pelicans are back!”
I stepped out onto the wide back deck, carrying a wooden tray with two glasses of fresh lemonade.
Down on the wooden pier, five-year-old Lily was laughing, her bright pink sunhat bouncing as she pointed toward three pelicans skimming across the glassy surface of the river. Her cheeks were round and rosy, her laughter bubbling up like music. She had grown three inches over the past year, her tiny frame now strong, healthy, and full of boundless energy.
Sitting on a wooden bench near the end of the pier, baiting a small fishing hook with breadcrumbs, was Evelyn Price. Evelyn had sold her house in Chesapeake six months ago and moved into the cottage across the lane from us, officially adopting the title of “Grandma Evelyn” with pure, joyful pride.
“Don't get too close to the edge, sweet pea!” Evelyn called out with a warm, grandmotherly smile. “The fish are waiting for us, not the birds!”
“I’m being careful!” Lily giggled, skipping back toward the safety of the wooden bench.
I walked down the wooden stairs, the river breeze rustling my hair. I wore a simple sundress, barefoot on the warm cedar boards. The nightmares that had plagued Lily during the first few months after the deployment had finally faded away, replaced by the security of a mother who never left her side, the unconditional love of a neighbor who had saved her life, and a home where fear had no quarter.
Lily spotted me and came running down the pier, throwing her small arms around my knees.
“Mama! Grandma Evelyn said we can catch five minnows before lunch!”
I knelt down on the dock, wrapping my arms tightly around my daughter, burying my face in her sun-warmed hair. The scent of coconut sunscreen, river breeze, and pure innocence filled my lungs.
“Five minnows?” I teased, kissing her forehead. “What are we going to do with five minnows?”
“Name them!” Lily declared proudly. “And then let them swim back to their mommies!”
“That sounds like the best plan in the world,” I whispered, holding her close against my heart.
The phone in my pocket buzzed softly. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
It was an automated legal notification from the Virginia Department of Corrections. Derek’s first petition for sentence reduction had been summarily denied by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He would serve every single day of his twenty-two years.
I didn't feel anger. I didn't feel vengeance. I felt nothing at all for the man who had tried to destroy us.
With a simple swipe of my thumb, I deleted the notification, turned the phone off, and slid it back into my pocket.
May you like
The past was locked away forever.
I stood up, took Lily’s small, warm hand in mine, and walked toward the end of the pier where the sunshine was brightest, ready for the rest of our beautiful, unshakeable lives.
