Chapter 9 - Reclaiming the Light
Six months later.
The warm August sun flooded the back garden of a sweet, cozy three-bedroom cottage on the outskirts of town.
I had officially sold the grand, sterile marital home in Fairview, using the proceeds to purchase this bright, warm house surrounded by oak trees, flower gardens, and a large wooden fence.
Oliver was six and a half now. Through months of gentle pediatric therapy, love, and stability, his night terrors had completely vanished. The grayness was gone from his cheeks, replaced by a healthy, golden summer tan.
On the back lawn, Oliver was running through a garden sprinkler, his bright, high-pitched laughter echoing across the grass.
My mother sat on the porch bench, sipping iced tea, watching him with a glowing smile.
My phone rang on the porch table. It was Julian Hart.
"Hi, Julian," I said, leaning against the wooden porch railing.
"Good afternoon, Sarah," Julian smiled through the phone. "I'm calling to let you know that the IRS and state regulatory review into Vance & Sterling has officially concluded. Arthur Vance was forced to sell his commercial real estate firm to pay six million dollars in back taxes and fraud penalties. The Vance family name is officially erased from city politics."
"Thank you for telling me, Julian," I said gently. "But to be honest... that name doesn't mean anything to us anymore."
"I know, Sarah," Julian said softly. "Oliver is a lucky boy to have a mother like you. Take care of yourself."
May you like
I hung up the phone and dropped it into my pocket.
I didn't care about Arthur's company, I didn't care about their lost fortune, and I didn't care about the family that had tried to bury my son's voice. They were ghosts of a past that could never touch us again.
