I found my daughter Jessica in the pine woods off Grand View, one shoe missing, blood on her mouth, leaves tangled in her hair.
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Chapter 9 / 10
Chapter 9 - The Passing of the Guard
Six months later, Jessica gave birth to a beautiful boy. We named him Julian.
The day we brought him home, I sat on the porch with Thomas. We drank coffee and listened to the sounds of the forest. The pine woods off Grand View still looked the same, but the shadow that had hung over them was gone.
"Dad would be proud," Thomas said, leaning back in his chair.
"He would have wanted us to be quiet about it," I chuckled. "He always said the best work is the kind that doesn't need a spotlight to hold itself up."
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"We did well, Mark," he added.
I looked at my hand, scarred from years of woodworking. I had built many things in my life—tables, chairs, cabinets—but protecting my daughter was the only project that truly mattered.
