Chapter 9 - Healing in the Sun
Winter turned into spring, bringing a gentle warmth back to the grounds of Hartwell Manor.
The heavy gray cloud that had hung over William’s heart since Olivia’s death had not vanished, but it had shifted. On weekends, he took Maya to Trinity Church Cemetery, where they brought fresh, bright yellow daisies to place on Olivia’s white headstone.
"Is she my sister?" Maya asked one sunny morning, touching the carved letters of Olivia’s name.
"Yes, sweetheart," William said, holding Maya’s hand tightly. "She's your big sister. And she's watching over us."
"I think she'd like daisies," Maya said softly, smiling up at the clear blue sky. "Mommy said they mean light always wins."
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With the legal battles behind them, William resigned as CEO of Hartwell Financial, transferring his administrative powers to a trusted board of trustees. He established the Clara Vance Foundation—a multi-billion-dollar endowment dedicated to protecting vulnerable women and children from poverty and domestic abuse, ensuring that no child would ever have to stand in the cold rain selling flowers for a meal again.
He devoted his days to being a full-time father. He learned how to braid hair, how to pack lunchboxes with cut-out sandwich shapes, and how to cheer loudly from the sidelines of weekend soccer matches.
