Chapter 10 - The Unfading Bloom
As the darkness settled over the desert, Marcus walked into Sophie’s bedroom to tuck her in.
Sitting on her nightstand, right beside her bed, was the glass pitcher shaped like a rooster. Inside it were three fresh, deep red roses—plucked from their own garden that afternoon.
Tomorrow was the anniversary. Five years since Elena had gone. But the room didn't feel like a tomb anymore. It felt like a home, full of light, memory, and an unshakeable safety.
Sophie pulled her comforter up to her chin, looking at her father with her deep, dark eyes—the ones that looked so much like her mother’s.
"Daddy?" she asked softly.
"Yes, peanut?"
"Do you still have the brown jacket?"
Marcus smiled, reaching out to smooth her hair. "I do. It’s in the closet right down the hall."
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"Good," Sophie whispered, closing her eyes as she drifted into a peaceful sleep. "Because it’s my favorite pillow when we travel."
Marcus leaned down, kissing her forehead, before walking out to the terrace. He looked up at the vast, star-filled New Mexico sky, feeling the cool night air against his skin. The hotels were running smoothly, the corporate battles were won, and the legacy of love he had fought to protect was entirely, beautifully secure. He was no longer just a man surviving the winter; he was a father who had built a summer that would last for the rest of their lives.
