Chapter 19 - The Unbroken Promise
That evening, after a dinner of fresh grilled fish and summer berries, David headed home to his apartment. I sat in the rocking chair on the dark back porch, watching the stars light up over the quiet dark ocean.
My phone rang. It was an automated voice message from the state correctional facility system.
"This is a notification regarding inmate Richard Miller. The inmate's application for early parole has been DENIED by the state review board. Remaining sentence length: eighteen months."
I listened to the automated voice complete the message, then pressed '9' to save the notification before hanging up.
My father would serve every single day of his sentence. Sarah was currently performing three hundred hours of mandatory community service, her criminal record permanently stained, unable to work in any capacity involving children or public management ever again.
They had tried to teach me that family meant accepting abuse in silence, that protecting the family brand was more important than protecting an innocent child. They had tried to teach Lily that her voice didn't matter.
They were wrong.
I stood up, walked inside the quiet, warm bungalow, and crept softly into Lily’s bedroom. The nightlight threw soft yellow stars onto the bedroom ceiling. Lily was tucked under her duvet, her little arms resting peacefully over the blanket, fast asleep.
May you like
I leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.
"I will always protect you," I whispered into the quiet night. "Always."
