Chapter 10 - The Warmth of Home
That evening, after the sun had dipped below the skyline and painted the clouds in brilliant shades of amber and violet, Lily and I sat together on the living room floor.
We had pulled out the heavy leather photo album Melissa had dropped off earlier that afternoon. We were flipping through the thick, yellowed pages, looking at pictures of our parents, childhood birthday parties, and old family vacations.
"Who's that, Uncle Daniel?" Lily asked, pointing a small finger at a faded photograph of a little girl with pigtails holding a golden retriever puppy in front of a sprawling suburban porch.
"That's your mom," I smiled softly, wrapping a blanket around both of our shoulders as the evening chill began to settle against the windows. "A long time ago, before things got complicated."
Lily stared at the picture for a long moment, tracing the edge of the photograph with her thumb. Then she looked up at me, her dark eyes shining with absolute, untroubled security.
"Are we going to stay here forever, Uncle Daniel?" she asked, her voice sweet and steady.
I pulled her a little closer, resting my chin against the top of her soft, clean hair, breathing in the scent of strawberry shampoo.
May you like
"Forever and always, kiddo," I promised, looking out at the city lights twinkling brightly in the dark. "Nobody is ever going to take that away from you again."
For the first time in five years, my niece leaned back against my chest, completely relaxed, entirely safe, and entirely free. The nightmare was over. Our new life had finally begun.
