Chapter 10 - Where the Scars Heal
Three months later.
The summer sun warmed the emerald lawn of the Bennett-Moretti estate in Lake Forest. The gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of blooming white hydrangeas and fresh-cut grass from the shores of Lake Michigan.
On the veranda, Vincent Moretti sat in a high-backed wicker armchair. He wore a simple linen shirt, unbuttoned at the top, revealing the jagged, pink scar that ran from his right collarbone down toward his ribs. He was thinner than before, but the hollow, haunted look in his dark eyes had completely disappeared.
Down on the grass, little Leo was chasing a golden retriever puppy, his joyous laughter ringing across the estate like silver bells.
"Careful, Leo!" Anna called out from the French doors, carrying a tray with iced lemonade.
She wore a sundress of light yellow, her long hair pinned up loosely. She walked over to Vincent, setting the tray on the low table, and naturally rested her hand on his shoulder.
Vincent reached up, his large, warm hand covering hers. He gently brought her knuckles to his lips, kissing the platinum wedding band that had returned to her finger three weeks ago—not the old ring, but a new one, forged from raw platinum and engraved on the inside with three words: *Never Let Go.*
"How is your chest feeling today?" Anna asked, leaning down to brush her lips against his temple.
"It only hurts when I breathe," Vincent joked dryly, pulling her down onto the arm of his chair.
"Don't be dramatic, Moretti. Dr. Chen said you’re cleared for light swimming next week."
Vincent looked out at the lawn, watching Leo tumble into the soft grass, giggling as the puppy licked his cheeks.
"I still feel like I’m dreaming, Anna," Vincent whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Every morning I wake up and I hear his feet running down the hall... and I think God is going to wake me up in that empty penthouse again."
Anna turned his face toward hers with two gentle fingers on his chin. She looked deeply into the dark eyes of the man who had broken her heart, and who had nearly sacrificed his life to mend the pieces.
"You’re not dreaming, Vincent," she said softly. "The nightmare is over. Sophia is in a federal penitentiary for the next forty years. The past is ashes. We built this from the ground up."
"I don't deserve you," Vincent murmured, burying his face against the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of jasmine and warm skin that was his only home. "I will spend every day of the next fifty years earning back the hand I let go."
"You already earned it on the floor of the conservatory, Vincent," Anna smiled gently, running her fingers through his dark hair. "Now, your only job is to be here. For me. And for him."
"Daddy! Mommy! Look!"
Leo came sprinting up the veranda steps, his little sneakers squeaking against the stone. In his muddy hands, he held a remarkably round, smooth river stone.
"Look what I found for you, Daddy!" Leo beamed, thrusting the stone proudly into Vincent’s lap. "It’s a magic shield! To keep the bad guys away!"
Vincent’s breath hitched. A solitary tear broke free, tracking down his cheek. He reached down with his powerful arms, scooped the little boy onto his lap, and hugged him tight against his chest, right over the scar where his heart beat strong and steady.
"Thank you, Leo," Vincent choked out, pressing a fierce kiss into the boy’s curls. "It’s the best shield in the world. But you know what?"
"What, Daddy?"
May you like
Vincent looked up at Anna, his hazel-eyed queen, smiling down at them with eyes full of sunlight and forgiveness.
"I don't need a shield anymore," Vincent said, holding his family close under the clear, blue Midwestern sky. "I already have everything I’ll ever fight for."
