Chapter 7 - A PLACE TO CALL HOME
When the day arrived for Anne to be discharged from the hospital, Sarah was practically bouncing with excitement. She wore a brand-new yellow sunburst dress, her brown hair tied in neat ribbon ponytails.
A sleek black limousine waited at the hospital entrance.
Matthew held the door open as Anne, now using a cane for light support, stepped into the comfortable leather interior. Sarah jumped in beside her, clutching her cardboard box of dolls, which she refused to part with despite having dozens of new toys.
"Where are we going?" Sarah asked, pressing her face against the tinted glass as the car glided through the city streets. "Are we going back to our little apartment?"
"No, sweetheart," Matthew said with a warm smile. "We're going home."
The limousine drove out of the city center, ascending into the lush, quiet hills of the grand estate district. It turned into a long, tree-lined driveway bordered by blooming hydrangeas and stopped in front of a stunning, two-story stone manor surrounded by rolling green lawns and a sunlit garden.
It was not the cold, imposing Sullivan family mansion where Matthew had grown up.
It was a home Matthew had quietly purchased three years ago—a warm, elegant house filled with large windows, wooden beams, and expansive gardens, which he had originally bought hoping that one day his life would feel meaningful again.
"It's beautiful..." Anne breathed out as Matthew helped her out of the car.
"I bought it a while ago," Matthew admitted, holding Anne’s waist gently as they walked up the front steps. "I didn't know why at the time. But now I do. It was waiting for you."
As they stepped inside the grand foyer, Sarah dropped her box on the plush rug and ran toward the floor-to-ceiling glass doors overlooking the backyard, where a massive handcrafted wooden playground had been freshly installed on the lawn.
"Mommy! Look! A swing set!" Sarah gasped in pure delight.
Matthew knelt beside Sarah, pointing toward the stairs. "And up on the second floor, there is a bedroom with light blue walls, a reading nook by the window, and a big shelf waiting for all of your dolls."
Sarah turned around, her eyes wide with awe. She threw her small arms around Matthew's neck, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Mr. Matthew!"
Matthew squeezed her tight, burying his face in her hair. "You can call me Dad, Sarah. If you want to."
Sarah pulled back, looking into his eyes, her expression thoughtful. Then she offered a bright, dimpled smile.
May you like
"Okay, Dad," she chirped happily, before running off to explore the playground outside.
Matthew stood up, tears glinting in his eyes, and felt Anne’s warm hand slip into his.
