Chapter 10 - The Promise of Tomorrow
Late that evening, after the grand opening celebration had ended and the city lights of Milwaukee began to twinkle beneath a clear, star-filled summer sky, Caspian walked up the grand staircase of his main house to check on Marlo.
Her bedroom was located right across the hall from his master suite.
It was a huge, warm room filled with soft pastel colors, a giant four-poster bed covered in plush pillows, shelves lined with books, and framed photographs of Eleanor, Caspian, and Marlo playing in the garden.
Caspian pushed the door open quietly.
The soft glow of a crescent-moon night-light illuminated the room.
Marlo was lying in the center of her large bed, fast asleep, wrapped securely in a soft down comforter. The puppy was curled up at the foot of the bed, snoring softly.
And hanging neatly on a wooden valet stand right beside her bed was her mother’s dark navy wool coat—no longer holding hidden hard drives, secret letters, or dangerous corporate truths, but simply resting as a cherished memory of a mother's eternal love.
Caspian walked over to the bed, leaning down to pull the comforter up around Marlo’s shoulders.
As he smoothed her hair back, Marlo stirred slightly, opening her eyes halfway, smiling sleepily up at him.
"Dad?" she whispered, her voice thick with sleep.
"I'm right here, Marlo," Caspian whispered back, sitting on the edge of the mattress. "Go back to sleep."
"Are you going to be here in the morning?" she asked softly.
It was the same question she used to ask with fear in her eyes when she first arrived at his guest house six months ago—afraid that warmth was temporary, afraid that people would change their minds once morning came.
Caspian reached down, taking her small hand into his, and kissed her cheek.
"I will be right here every morning, Marlo," Caspian promised with absolute, unshakeable certainty. "For as long as you need me. And even when you don't."
Marlo let out a long, peaceful sigh, her small fingers relaxing in his grip as she drifted back into a deep, beautiful sleep.
May you like
Caspian sat beside her in the quiet room for a long time, watching her chest rise and fall in a steady, peaceful rhythm.
Outside the window, the summer night was warm, quiet, and filled with stars. The cold winter was gone, the long night had finally ended, and a bright, beautiful new morning was waiting just beyond the horizon.
