Part 21: The Morning Light
Part 21: The Morning Light
The sun rose differently the next day.
It didn’t feel heavy.
It didn’t feel like a spotlight.
It just felt like morning.
I sat in the kitchen, holding a warm cup of coffee.
The house was completely silent.
No security guards pacing the hallways.
No encrypted phones buzzing on the counter.
Caleb walked in.
He didn’t say a word.
He just wrapped his arms around my shoulders from behind.
He rested his chin on my head.
I leaned back into him.
A simple, natural movement.
No dramatic declarations of victory.
Just the quiet, profound relief of survival.
“She’s still sleeping,” Caleb whispered.
I smiled.
May you like
“Let her sleep.”
For the first time in her life, Lily had nothing to wake up and fear.
