Chapter 10 - Where We Belong
Three months later.
The summer sun shone brightly over the country house. The flowerbeds that Dustin had once been accused of destroying were now bursting with red roses, yellow sunflowers, and lavender, planted by Clarissa and Dustin together over the spring weekends.
The smell of grilled chicken and fresh corn floated from the back patio, where a long wooden table was set under the shade of the grand oak tree.
Sitting around the table were Sarah, Marcus, and several of Clarissa’s closest friends and colleagues—people who genuinely loved and supported her.
At the head of the table sat Dustin, wearing a bright yellow t-shirt, laughing hysterically as Sarah’s dog chased a frisbee across the lawn.
Clarissa walked out onto the patio carrying a large pitcher of fresh lemonade and a platter of warm homemade rolls. She set them down in the center of the table, wrapping her arms gently around Dustin’s shoulders from behind.
Dustin looked up at her, his brown eyes bright, happy, and completely free of the shadows that had once haunted them.
“Mom,” Dustin said, pointing to the platter. “Can I have another piece of chicken?”
Clarissa kissed his cheek softly. “Sweetie, you can have whatever you want. This table is yours. Everything here is yours.”
Dustin smiled, taking a drumstick and passing the platter to Marcus. “Thanks, Mom.”
Clarissa took her seat beside her son, holding a glass of iced lemonade. She looked around the table at the smiling faces of the people who truly belonged in her life.
The house was filled with warmth, music, and laughter. The pain of betrayal, the toxic greed of the Miller family, and the terrifying ordeal of the last year had all been washed away, leaving behind a foundation built on truth, strength, and fierce, unbreakable love.
Clarissa lifted her glass, catching Dustin’s eye with a warm, proud smile.
“To family,” Clarissa said softly. “The real kind.”
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“To family!” everyone echoed, their glasses clinking together in the warm summer sun.
And as Dustin laughed, reaching for a second roll, Clarissa knew that her son would never again be forced to sit in a corner, and he would never, ever doubt where he belonged.
