Chapter 10 - The Unshakeable Root
Later that evening, after the guests had left and the sun began to set in golden hues over the backyard, I sat on the porch rocking chair, holding a sleepy Fiona on my lap.
She was wrapped in her favorite warm blanket, her head resting heavily against my chest, her thumb tucked softly into her mouth.
The backyard was quiet, save for the gentle rustle of evening wind through the green leaves of the apple tree.
My phone on the porch table chimed with a notification.
It was a text message from a number I hadn't seen in months. Wendy.
I picked up the phone and opened the message.
Wendy: I saw the pictures Kelly posted of Fiona’s party. She looks... healthy. I am willing to contribute to her private school tuition if you allow me a short visit.
I looked at the message for a long time.
Six months ago, a message like that would have sent a wave of panic or anger through my chest. It would have felt like a threat, an invasion, or a command.
Now, it felt like nothing more than a faint whisper from a world I no longer belonged to.
I typed back a simple, clear reply:
Jessi: Fiona is doing wonderfully. Her father and I have her tuition and education fully covered. We wish you peace, Wendy.
I blocked the number, set the phone down on the table screen-down, and didn't look at it again.
Fiona shifted on my lap, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she looked up at me under the twilight sky.
“Mommy?” she whispered, her small voice clear and bright.
“Yes, my sweet girl?” I asked, stroking her soft hair back from her forehead.
“Mommy like Fiona?”
I smiled, pulling her closer into my arms, feeling the steady, healthy rhythm of her heartbeat against mine.
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“Mommy loves Fiona more than all the stars in the sky,” I whispered into her hair. “And no one will ever make you feel anything less.”
Fiona smiled contentedly, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep in the safety of a home built on love, courage, and unshakeable truth.
