Chapter 5 - What Lies Beyond
Six months later.
The autumn air in Columbus was crisp, sharp, and smelling of fireplace smoke and fallen oak leaves.
I stood on the sidewalk outside the Franklin County Municipal Courthouse, wrapped in a long wool coat, watching the grey sky over the city skyline.
Beside me, Sarah Lin—my forensic financial attorney—closed her leather briefcase with two sharp, satisfying clicks.
"The judge signed the final decree ten minutes ago, Claire," Sarah said, handing me a thick, blue-stamped folder. "Graham and Paige’s plea bargains were rejected by the district attorney. Because of the attempted murder charges involving a minor, both of them received thirty-five-year sentences without the possibility of parole for twenty-five years."
I took the folder, feeling the smooth paper beneath my fingers.
"And the funds?" I asked.
"The federal court recovered the entire six hundred thousand dollars from the Nassau account," Sarah smiled gently. "Plus, the insurance company was forced to pay the full 1.2 million for the destruction of the property, since you were completely cleared of any involvement. You are a very wealthy, entirely independent woman, Claire."
"I don't care about the wealth," I said, looking down the street where my mother’s car was waiting near the park. "I just wanted my daughter to be safe."
"She is safe," Sarah said softly. "Thanks to you. And thanks to her."
I walked down the broad granite steps of the courthouse, stepping out into the cool afternoon light.
When I reached the car, my mother smiled at me from the driver's seat, nodding gently. In the back seat, sitting in a brand-new, safe booster chair, was Lucy.
She had her sketchbook open on her lap, drawing a bright green house with a huge tree in the front yard and three birds flying high in the sky.
I opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat.
Lucy looked up from her drawing, her bright blue eyes clear, calm, and entirely free of the dark shadows that had haunted them six months ago.
"Is it all over, Mom?" she asked softly.
May you like
I turned around, reached my hand out, and wrapped my fingers tightly around her small, warm hand.
"Yes, sweetie," I said, a real, unshakeable smile breaking across my face for the first time in half a year. "It’s all over. Now, we get to build our new home."
