Chapter 6 - Five Minutes for a Lifetime
Six months later.
Autumn had returned to Philadelphia. The leaves in the gardens of Rowan House had turned brilliant shades of crimson, gold, and deep orange.
The massive estate was filled with life.
Today was a day of celebration. Rowan House was hosting a grand autumn gala for the Charlie Rowan Foundation, raising over fifteen million dollars for youth centers across the state. Hundreds of guests—diplomats, community leaders, legal teams, and local families—filled the grand ballroom and gardens, laughing and celebrating.
In the private upstairs library, the afternoon light streamed softly through the tall arched windows.
Vincent stood by his heavy mahogany desk, adjusting the cuffs of his dark tuxedo. He looked out at the gardens, watching guests mingle beneath the golden trees.
The heavy double doors clicked open softly.
Mara walked in.
She looked stunning beyond words in a sweeping emerald green velvet gown that complimented her dark hair and glowing skin. A delicate diamond necklace—a gift from Vincent—rested against her collarbone.
She walked over to him, wrapping her arms softly around his waist, resting her head against his broad chest.
"The board members are asking for you downstairs, Mr. Rowan," Mara teased gently, looking up at him with dark, affectionate eyes.
Vincent wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "Let them wait. Minutes belong to me, remember?"
Mara laughed softly, standing on her tiptoes to press a warm, lingering kiss to his lips. "I love you, Vincent."
"I love you, Mara," Vincent whispered, his gray eyes filled with profound, unshakeable devotion. "More than this entire city."
Before they could kiss again, the library door pushed open slightly.
Seven-year-old Sophie stepped inside. She wore a matching emerald green dress with a small cream ribbon in her hair, her shoes shiny and clean. In her small hands, she was carefully balancing two small silver timer clocks.
"Vincent? Mom?" Sophie asked, tilting her head. "Are you hiding from the party?"
Vincent smiled, stepping away from Mara and walking over to kneel down before the little girl.
"Never hiding, kid," Vincent said warmly. "Just taking a minute."
Sophie set one of the silver timers down on the dark mahogany desk. She looked at Vincent with big, bright eyes that were completely free of the grief and fear that had shadowed them a year ago.
"My teacher asked us again today to write about someone who makes us feel safe," Sophie said proudly, reaching into her small velvet purse and pulling out a folded piece of paper covered in colorful crayon drawings.
Vincent took the paper, unfolding it carefully.
It was a drawing of three people standing outside a big stone mansion under a bright yellow sun: a woman in a red dress, a little girl holding a green coat, and a very tall man with dark tattoos on his arms, holding hands with both of them.
At the bottom, written in neat child's handwriting, were the words: "My Dad Vincent."
Vincent’s breath caught in his throat. His fingers tightened around the edges of the paper as a sudden, intense wave of emotion washed through his chest.
He looked up at Mara, who was fighting back tears of absolute joy, smiling down at them.
Vincent looked back at Sophie, his voice thick and rough with raw emotion. "You wrote about me, Sophie?"
"Of course," Sophie said simply, as if it were the most obvious fact in the universe. "My dad in heaven gave me five minutes... but you gave us a whole life."
Vincent pulled the little girl into a fierce, protective embrace, holding her close to his heart. Sophie wrapped her small arms tightly around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.
Mara walked over, kneeling beside them, wrapping her arms around both of them, completing the circle of their family.
Outside the tall library windows, the golden autumn leaves drifted slowly down from the trees, catching the last warm rays of the afternoon sun. The rain was gone. The shadows of the past were destroyed.
Vincent Rowan looked at the two people who had transformed his cold, empty empire into a home filled with boundless love, purpose, and hope.
He reached over to the desk, grabbed the little silver timer, and turned the dial to zero.
May you like
He didn't need to count the minutes anymore.
Because for the first time in his life, Vincent Rowan had forever.
