Chapter 20 - A New Morning
It was Chloe's twelfth birthday, two years since the incident that changed our lives.
The sun was shining brightly through the kitchen windows.
Marcus was flipping pancakes while I set the table with her favorite plates.
Chloe ran down the stairs, her dog trailing happily behind her.
She didn't wear a mask, and she didn't hide her face from the sunlight.
She smiled broadly, the faint silver scars stretching across her cheeks.
"Happy birthday, sweetie!" Marcus cheered, handing her a massive stack of pancakes.
I placed a single, brightly wrapped box on the table.
She didn't flinch or look at it with fear.
She tore the paper open excitedly to find a brand-new digital camera.
She squealed with joy, immediately snapping a photo of Marcus and me.
We were safe, we were happy, and we were whole.
May you like
Arthur was rotting in a concrete cell, entirely forgotten by the world he tried to control.
But we were moving forward, building a beautiful life, one day at a time.
