Chapter 8 - The Aftermath
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The weeks following the wedding were quiet.
The good kind of quiet.
The silence wasn't hiding anything anymore; it was simply the absence of chaos.
I spent more time at the hardware store than I probably needed to, mostly because it gave me an excuse to avoid organizing my garage.
One afternoon, Marcus walked in.
He picked up a box of nails and leaned against the counter.
“So, the kid’s married.”
“She is.”
“And the new guy? Adequate?”
“Adequate,” I confirmed.
Marcus snorted.
“High praise from you.”
I rang up the nails.
“He treats her well. He listens. He knows when to step back.”
“Sounds like he passed the test.”
“There wasn't a test.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
“Right. And you didn't run a background check.”
I didn't answer.
He laughed.
“Anyway. You heard about the Thornes?”
I paused.
“No.”
“The appellate court rejected Julian’s appeal yesterday.”
I looked up.
“All of it?”
“All of it. Sentence stands. Miriam’s too.”
A knot I hadn't realized I was still carrying finally loosened.
“Good.”
“Yeah. Good.”
Marcus paid for the nails.
“You know, you should probably find a hobby now.”
“I have hobbies.”
“Fixing other people’s plumbing doesn't count.”
“It’s productive.”
“It’s avoidance.”
He walked to the door.
“Come by the station sometime. We’ll get a beer. Talk about something other than criminals for once.”
“Maybe.”
I watched him leave.
He was right.
I needed to figure out what to do with the rest of my life now that my primary objective was complete.
My daughter was safe.
The monsters were locked away.
May you like
The house was too quiet.
I went home and finally started organizing the garage.
