Chapter 7 - A New Beginning
Word count: ~1,500 words
Six months later, the spring sun shone brightly through the windows of my newly renovated apartment overlooking Lake Michigan.
The air smelled of fresh pancakes, maple syrup, and blooming tulips.
At the dining table, a little girl with bright, laughing eyes was busy coloring a picture of a blue bird using an entire pack of oversized crayons.
“Uncle Michael, look! I gave the bird a golden crown!” Sophia announced proudly, holding up the drawing for my inspection.
“That is the finest crown I’ve ever seen, little bird,” I said, smiling as I set a glass of orange juice beside her plate.
Sophia’s laughter echoed through the apartment—clear, bright, and completely unburdened by fear.
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We had won the permanent guardianship battle three months prior. The legal paperwork was finalized, the medical therapy was working wonders, and every single night before bed, she whispered her new favorite phrase: “We’re safe, aren't we, Uncle Michael?”
“Always,” I whispered back every single time.
