Chapter 13: Walls of Timber and Light
Throughout the summer and autumn, the Oakhaven Community Center rose from the foundation.
Clara spent her days on-site in work boots and a hard hat, working side-by-side with Maya’s framing crew. Every beam of locally milled cedar fit precisely into place, letting in shafts of natural sunlight that illuminated the open communal hall.
One evening, after the construction crew had packed up their tools, Clara walked through the unfinished structure alone. The air was fragrant with fresh sawdust and the salty evening breeze blowing through the framed window openings.
She walked into the central atrium, looking up at the high timber arches. She remembered the suffocating weight of the Bellamy foyer on the night she left—the heavy chandeliers, the closed double doors, the voices demanding that she surrender her dignity.
May you like
Here, the doors opened outward to the sea. The space was light, breathable, and generous. Clara placed her hand against the rough wood of the central pillar, feeling a profound sense of closure. She had not only rebuilt her career; she had rebuilt herself.
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