Chapter 78
Dismantling the Fortress
The following months were the busiest and happiest of our lives. The spare room upstairs, once designated as a backup armory, was renovated into a nursery.
Daniel painted the walls a warm, soft yellow. He built an oak crib himself—the sturdiest, safest crib imaginable. Every sharp corner in the house was carefully covered with rubber padding. The meticulous precision once used to set lethal traps was now devoted to protecting a fragile life.
"What do you think we should name the baby?" I asked while folding tiny, delicate blankets.
"If it's a boy, I want to name him Leo," Daniel replied, carefully installing a star-shaped nightlight. "It means strength."
"And if it's a girl?"
May you like
"Maya," he smiled tenderly. "A new beginning."
We no longer checked the security cameras every night. The guns were securely locked away in the basement, buried beneath layers of forgotten dust. Our fortress had truly become a home.
