Ethan stood frozen in the St. Louis hospital waiting room, holding the faded transit card between two fingers while rain rattled hard against the double glass doors behind him.

Six months later.

Spring had arrived in St. Louis. The oak trees along Forest Park were blooming with vibrant green leaves, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of fresh clover and warm earth.

Three blocks from the park stood a classic, two-story brick house with a wide front porch, white shutters, and a large backyard surrounded by a wooden fence.

It was not a cold glass penthouse. It was a home filled with light, warmth, and life.

Ethan sat on the front porch steps wearing a comfortable grey sweatshirt and dark jeans, holding a bottle of warm milk.

Beside him, sitting on a soft blanket spread across the grass, was eight-month-old Emma. She was chubby, healthy, and currently trying to grab a yellow butterfly fluttering above a flower bed.

The front screen door opened with a soft creak.

Lily ran out onto the porch carrying a backpack decorated with dinosaur patches. She was eight now, her dark hair shining in the afternoon sun, her small face filled with color and laughter.

"Ethan! Look!" Lily shouted proudly, holding up a sheet of paper. "I got an A on my spelling test!"

Ethan set the milk bottle down and took the paper, examining it with absolute serious devotion. "An A? 'Mississippi'... 'Hospital'... 'Dinosaur'... Lily, this is incredible!"

Lily beamed with pride, dropping her backpack onto the porch steps and sitting down beside him. "My teacher said I'm the best reader in the second grade."

"I never doubted it for a second," Ethan smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her tight against his side.

A sleek black town car pulled up to the curb in front of the house.

The rear door opened, and Sarah Lin stepped out, wearing casual clothes instead of her corporate suit. She carried a large cardboard box tied with a red ribbon.

"Happy Friday, family!" Sarah called out warmly, walking up the front path.

Lily jumped up. "Aunt Sarah!"

Sarah hugged Lily before setting the box down on the porch table. "I brought the special cake from the bakery in the Hill."

Ethan stood up, shaking Sarah’s hand. "How are things at the firm, Sarah?"

"Quiet," Sarah smiled. "Richard Sterling’s trial began yesterday in Chicago. He’s facing twenty years for federal wire fraud and obstruction of justice. The court established a $50 million compensation fund for the families affected by his billing scheme—including a trust fund set up in Claire’s name for Lily and Emma."