Chapter 11 - A Safe Place to Call Home
Six months later.
The summer sun shone bright and warm over the rolling green hills of Ethan’s estate. The shattered glass patio had been replaced with wide stone steps leading down to a colorful garden filled with blooming sunflowers and roses.
A wooden swingset stood under the shade of a large oak tree.
Baby Emma, now walking on steady little feet, chased a golden retriever puppy across the grass, her joyful laughter floating through the warm afternoon air.
Sadie sat at a wooden picnic table, drawing a picture with bright colored markers.
Ethan walked out from the house carrying a tray of lemonade and fresh fruit. He wore a simple cotton t-shirt and jeans—the expensive suits and watches locked away in a closet he rarely opened anymore. He had officially stepped down as active CEO, taking the role of Chairman so he could spend every day at home.
He sat down beside Sadie, setting a glass of lemonade in front of her.
“What are you drawing, bug?” Ethan asked, peeking over her shoulder.
Sadie held up her drawing proudly.
It was a picture of a big house under a bright yellow sun. In the middle were four people drawn with markers: a little girl, a baby, a tall man holding their hands, and a woman in an angel dress flying above them in the sky with a warm smile.
“That’s Mama,” Sadie pointed to the angel. “She’s watching us.”
Ethan looked at the picture, feeling a deep, quiet peace settle over his heart.
“She sure is,” Ethan said, wrapping his arm around Sadie’s shoulders. “And she knows you’re safe.”
Sadie leaned her head against his side, watching her little sister play in the green grass under the afternoon sun.
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The storm was long gone. The cold was forgotten.
And in the warm sunlight of a new day, two little girls had finally found the home they had been promised.
