Chapter 6 - Rebuilding the Foundation
With temporary custody secured and Ethan safely settled into a bright, secure apartment closer to his school, Blake focused on healing his son.
The transition wasn't easy. Ethan still occasionally woke up in the middle of the night, checking to make sure he was still inside, wrapped in heavy flannel blankets. But slowly, the shadows began to lift. They baked cookies together on rainy afternoons, built towering Lego cities across the living room floor, and read bedtime stories until Ethan’s eyelids grew heavy.
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Mrs. Chun, Ethan’s teacher, emailed Blake a glowing progress report. “Ethan raised his hand three times in class today,” she wrote. “He’s smiling again. Whatever you’re doing at home, keep doing it.”
Blake sat at his desk, reading the email twice, feeling a deep, unshakeable peace settle into his chest. He had spent years sacrificing his family time for a demanding legal career, assuming financial provision was enough. Now he knew that presence was the only currency that truly mattered.
