Chapter 28 - The Canvas
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Summer in Vermont brought a lush, vibrant green to the mountains, completely transforming the landscape. The lake shimmered like a polished sapphire under the afternoon sun. Mia sat on the wide wooden deck of the cabin, an easel set up before her. She was painting.
For years, her world had been defined by the rigid boundaries set by Nathan, colored entirely in shades of fear and compliance. Now, she had a palette filled with bright, uncompromising colors. She was painting the lake, but she was using bold strokes of crimson and gold, turning the water into something wild and deeply alive.
Harper was running barefoot in the grass below, chasing a small yellow butterfly, her laughter ringing through the clear mountain air.
"You are getting bolder," a voice said from the screen door.
Mia turned. Dominic stood there, holding two glasses of iced tea. He visited once a month now. It was a comfortable routine. He never overstayed his welcome, and he never brought the darkness of the city with him.
"I am learning how to take up space," Mia said, accepting the glass. "Nathan always wanted me to be small. To be invisible. I think painting is my way of shouting."
Dominic looked at the canvas. The colors were chaotic but beautiful, a perfect reflection of a soul putting itself back together piece by piece.
"It is a very good shout," he said, taking a sip of his tea.
Mia wiped a smudge of blue paint from her cheek. "I received a letter from the lawyers today. The divorce is officially finalized. The estate settlement is complete. I am legally free of his name."
Dominic nodded, his dark eyes fixed on the horizon. "And what will you do with your freedom, Mia?"
"I am going to open a small gallery in the village," she said, a spark of genuine excitement in her eyes. "Nothing grand. Just a place for local artists. A place where Harper can grow up surrounded by people who create things, instead of people who destroy them."
"That sounds perfect," Dominic said.
Harper ran up the wooden steps, out of breath and smiling widely.
"Mr. Vale! I caught the butterfly but I let it go because it wanted to fly away!"
May you like
"That was very merciful of you, Harper," Dominic said, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair.
Mia looked at the two of them. The ruthless king and the innocent child, standing in the summer sun. The story was indeed rewriting itself.
