Chapter 7 - The Garden of Remembrance
One month later.
The summer sun shone warmly over the Bellevue estate—a breathtaking fifty-acre property overlooking the crystal waters of Lake Washington, surrounded by tall pine trees and blooming emerald gardens.
At the highest point of the estate, on a quiet hill overlooking the water, sat a beautiful white marble pavilion surrounded by hundreds of blooming copper-colored roses—the exact shade of Elizabeth's and Clara's hair.
A simple, elegant granite stone sat beneath the shelter of the pavilion, bearing two names:
ELIZABETH WINTERS & CLARA WINTERS Together in Eternal Light. Forever Loved, Never Forgotten.
Maxwell stood beside the monument, wearing a soft grey sweater, holding two glass vases filled with fresh water.
Beside him stood Lucy and Lily, dressed in yellow summer dresses.
Over the past four weeks, the change in the two girls was nothing short of miraculous. The hollow, guarded look of survival had vanished from their eyes. Their skin was healthy, their laughter echoed through the high halls of the Bellevue house, and they were enrolled in one of the finest private elementary academies in the state.
Lucy walked up to the monument, carefully setting down a bundle of copper roses she had picked from the garden herself.
"Grandma," Lucy whispered, looking at the stone with a quiet, mature grace. "We live in a big house now. There are horses in the barn. And... Maxwell fixed Charlie. He fixed everything."
Lily stepped forward, holding her small paper cup—the same cup she had held on the rain-slicked street outside the bookstore four weeks ago. But it no longer contained forty-five cents.
Inside the cup sat three small, polished river stones from the estate stream, each painted with a tiny bright heart.
"I brought these for you and Mommy," Lily whispered, placing the cup gently at the base of the granite stone. "So you know we are keeping our memories safe."
Maxwell knelt down beside the two girls, wrapping his arms around their shoulders.
"They can hear you, sweetie," Maxwell said softly, kissing the top of Lily's head. "They are watching us right now. And they are so, so proud of how brave you both are."
Lucy turned, looking up into Maxwell's face. The fierce, distrustful girl who had confronted him beneath the bookstore awning was gone, replaced by a child who knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that she was safe.
"Maxwell?" Lucy asked softly.
"Yes, Lucy?"
"Can we call you Grandpa?"
May you like
Maxwell froze. A deep, overwhelming wave of warmth swelled in his chest, threatening to bring tears to his eyes. He tightened his grip around both of them, pulling them close against his heart.
"There is nothing in this world," Maxwell choked out, his voice thick with profound joy, "that would make me happier."
