Chapter 6 - SUNLIGHT ON MAPLE DRIVE
Three Months LaterThe morning air was crisp and warm, carrying the sweet smell of blooming jasmines across the porch on Maple Drive.
The house had been completely renovated. The old alarm system was gone, replaced by state-of-the-art security, but more importantly, the dark memories that once filled the hallway had been replaced by light.
I stood on the back lawn, wearing a plain gray t-shirt and jeans, flipping pancakes on the outdoor grill.
The glass patio door opened.
Violet walked out into the sunlight. Her hair had grown back over the faint, neat scar near her temple. She wore her favorite yellow sundress, carrying two glasses of fresh orange juice.
She looked healthy, strong, and beautiful.
"Dad," she smiled, setting the juice down on the wooden patio table. "You're burning the second batch."
"I don't burn pancakes, Vi," I laughed, using the spatula to flip a golden-brown pancake onto her plate. "That's tactical searing."
She rolled her eyes, but her smile reached all the way to her bright brown eyes.
She sat down at the table, taking a sip of juice, looking out across the quiet backyard where Bull and Dax were currently setting up a brand-new wooden garden trellis for her flowers.
"Dad?" she asked quietly after a moment.
I paused, laying down the tongs, and sat beside her. "Yeah, buddy?"
"Are you ever going back overseas?"
I took her hand in mine—the same hand I had held in that dark hospital room three months ago—and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
May you like
"No, Vi," I answered softly, looking at her with absolute certainty. "My war is over. My place is right here with you."
Violet leaned over, resting her head against my arm as the warm morning sun bathed the garden in pure, untroubled light. The monsters were gone, justice had been served, and for the first time in fifteen years, a father was finally home to stay.
