Chapter 10 - A New Normal
Six months later, the Victorian house on Maple Avenue was nothing more than a memory—a vacant lot cleared by the city.
I sat on the porch of a small, bright bungalow near the coast, the sound of the ocean replacing the heavy silence of our old home. The air smelled of salt and drying laundry, not smoke.
I heard the sliding door open behind me. Lily stepped out, holding two glasses of lemonade. She had grown an inch, and the shadows that used to haunt her eyes had finally retreated, replaced by a cautious, budding curiosity about the world.
She handed me a glass and sat down on the step beside me.
"The school counselor said I’m doing really well," she said, her voice steady and clear.
"I know," I said, putting my arm around her. "I’m proud of you, Lily. More than you know."
She leaned her head against my shoulder. For a long time, we just watched the tide come in. There were no more secrets, no more hidden backpacks, no more performance. Just the quiet, mundane, beautiful reality of a life that belonged to us.
"Dad?" she said softly.
I looked down at her. "Yeah, kiddo?"
"Are we staying here for a long time?"
May you like
I pulled her closer, feeling the weight of the past finally lift from my shoulders. "We’re staying here forever, Lily. I’m not going anywhere."
She smiled—a real, genuine, unburdened smile—and as the sun dipped below the horizon, I knew the fire was finally out, replaced by a warmth that was meant to last.
