Chapter 4 - The Shadow of the Past
The afternoon of the anniversary was always the hardest.
Ethan and Lily walked hand-in-hand through the quiet, shaded paths of Rosehill Cemetery on the north side of Chicago. The rain from the night before had left the grass emerald green, and the air smelled of damp earth and fresh pine.
Lily walked carefully, her small hand holding the vase containing the slightly bruised red roses they had brought from the hotel.
They stopped in front of a beautiful, simple white marble headstone.
SARAH VANCE Beloved Wife and Mother 1992 – 2023 “In the garden of memory, we meet every day.”
Lily knelt down on the grass, placing the vase gently at the base of the marble stone. She reached out and patted the cold stone with her small hand, just as she used to pat her mother’s cheek when she was a baby.
"Hi, Mommy," Lily said, her voice sweet and clear in the quiet cemetery. "We brought you the roses. They got a little squished on the airplane, but Daddy and a nice lady named Lupita helped me fix them. They're still very pretty."
Ethan knelt beside her, his chest tightening with an intensity of grief that felt as fresh today as it did three years ago. He wrapped his arm around Lily’s shoulders, pulling her close against his side.
"She loves them, Lily," Ethan whispered, his eyes burning with tears he had tried so hard to hold back. "She loves them very much."
"Daddy?" Lily looked up at him, her dark blue eyes searching his face. "Are you sad?"
"A little bit, sweetie," Ethan admitted, offering her a small, honest smile. "I miss her. I miss her every day."
"Me too," Lily said, leaning her head against his arm. "But Barnaby says Mommy is still with us. He says she's like the wind. We can't see her, but we can feel her when she blows on our faces."
Ethan let out a wet, choked laugh, pulling her into a tight hug. "Barnaby is a very smart rabbit."
They stayed by the grave for an hour, talking about Sarah—about how she loved to bake blueberry muffins, about the silly songs she used to sing to Lily before bed, and about the way her laughter could make even the darkest room feel bright.
By the time they walked back to the waiting limousine, the heavy, suffocating cloud of grief that had hung over Ethan for weeks had begun to lift, replaced by a quiet, steady resolve. He had to keep building. He had to keep protecting Lily. And he had to ensure that the empire he had built with Sarah’s support remained a place of integrity, honor, and genuine humanity.
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"Where are we going now, Daddy?" Lily asked as she climbed into the back seat of the car.
"We have to get ready for the big party tonight, sweetie," Ethan said, buckling her seatbelt. "But first, we're going to buy you a very beautiful dress. The most beautiful dress in Chicago."
