Chapter 6 - The First SunriseThe morning sun broke over the Greenwich estate with a golden warmth that seemed to wash away the sterile, gray shadow that had hung over the property for years.
Down in the massive, sunlit kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, scrambled eggs, and toasted brioche filled the air.
Alejandro stood by the kitchen island wearing a simple cotton t-shirt and jeans—no wrinkled business suit, no designer tie, no constant buzzing phone in his hand. His phone lay face down on the counter, completely silenced.
Footsteps pattered down the back stairs, followed by four excited little voices arguing over who got to wear the blue superhero cape.
“I had it yesterday!”
“Did not! Emiliano had it!”
“Quiet down, boys,” Marisol laughed, walking into the kitchen with a stack of fresh towels. She stopped short when she saw Alejandro standing by the stove flipping pancakes with a spatula, flour dusted across his cheek.
The four boys came skidding into the kitchen, freezing when they saw their father standing there in casual clothes, smiling at them instead of rushing out the door with a briefcase.
For a second, nobody moved.
Then, Nicholas—the smallest one, who had asked “Are you the dad?” just yesterday afternoon—slowly stepped forward. He looked up at Alejandro, tilting his head with innocent curiosity.
“Are you going to work today, Dad?” Nicholas asked.
Alejandro set the spatula down, turned off the stove, and crouched right down to his son’s eye level.
“No, buddy,” Alejandro said, pulling all four boys into a warm, messy group hug that nearly knocked him over. “I’m not going anywhere. Today, we’re planting a garden.”
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The boys cheered so loudly the windows rattled.
Marisol stood by the counter, watching them with a soft, radiant smile, her hands resting peacefully on her apron.
