Chapter 10 - A Clean Slate
That evening, after the last guest had gone home and the backyard was cleaned up, I stood at the kitchen window watching the sunset.
The spot on the patio where the peach crisp had shattered a week ago had been scrubbed clean. There was no trace of the cruelty that had taken place there.
Leo padded into the kitchen in his superhero pajamas, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He carried a small paper plate with a leftover slice of his birthday cake.
"Mommy," he mumbled, tugging on my dress. "Can I have one more bite before bed?"
I knelt down to his eye level, brushing his messy hair to the side. I didn't have to force a smile this time. My heart was completely whole.
"Of course you can, sweetheart," I said gently.
He took a bite, a massive, frosting-covered grin spreading across his face.
"You know what?" Leo said, chewing happily. "I don't think I want to see Nana anymore. She's mean."
Marcus walked into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and kissing the top of my head.
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"You never have to see her again, Leo," Marcus said, his voice thick with love and absolute certainty. "It's just us now. And that's all we'll ever need."
And as I watched my son finish his cake, surrounded by the fierce, protective love of his true family, I knew the shadow of Eleanor Vance was finally gone forever. We had walked through the fire, and we had come out untouchable.
