Chapter 18 - The Ledger of Grace
|
On the exact one-year anniversary of my release from prison, I stood on the expansive floor-to-ceiling balcony of my penthouse apartment, watching the sunrise over the Chicago skyline. The city below was bathed in a breathtaking, golden light, the cool morning breeze whipping my hair across my face.
The heavy glass door slid open, and Beatrice stepped out onto the balcony, holding two steaming mugs of black coffee. She handed one to me, leaning her elbows against the railing, looking out at the sprawling city.
"The board just unanimously ratified the budget for your new project," Beatrice said, a genuine smile breaking across her usually stern face. "The Kensington Post-Conviction Legal Foundation is officially fully funded. We open our doors next month."
I took a slow sip of the hot coffee, feeling the warmth spread through my chest. The foundation was designed to provide top-tier forensic accounting, private investigation, and legal defense for innocent women who had been framed or wrongfully convicted by powerful men.
"How many cases do we have on the docket?" I asked.
"Over forty applications came in during the first week alone," Beatrice replied softly. "There are a lot of women sitting in dark cells right now, Margaret. Women who don't have a father's trust fund or a forensic background. They're just waiting for someone to turn on the lights."
"Then we turn them on," I said firmly.
Beatrice turned to look at me, her blue eyes filled with a deep, quiet respect. "Do you finally feel free, Margaret? Is the anger gone?"
May you like
I looked at the golden reflection of the sun bouncing off the glass skyscrapers. I thought of the damp prison cell, the smell of bleach, the sound of heavy iron doors slamming shut in the dark. And then I thought of Richard, sitting in his small concrete cell, wearing orange canvas scrubs, eating cold rations off a plastic tray.
"The anger was just fuel, Beatrice," I answered softly, a real, peaceful smile gracing my lips. "I don't need the fuel anymore. I have the fire."
