Chapter 10 - The Arrival
Spring arrived with a burst of brilliant color.
The cold, dark winter was finally a memory.
I stood by the massive bay window in the nursery at my father's estate, letting the warm April sun wash over my face.
The room was painted a soft, soothing yellow.
White linen curtains fluttered gently in the mild breeze.
I held my beautiful, perfect newborn daughter against my chest.
She was fast asleep, her tiny chest rising and falling in a peaceful, steady rhythm.
She had a head full of thick, dark hair and my mother's button nose.
She was absolutely perfect.
The nightmare of Christmas felt like a terrifying story that had happened to someone else.
David was currently sitting in a federal penitentiary in Leavenworth.
Sylvia was scrubbing toilets in a state prison upstate.
They had been erased from my life completely.
The door to the nursery creaked open slowly.
My father stepped inside, carrying a small, beautifully wrapped box.
He had traded his intimidating black robes for a comfortable cashmere sweater.
He looked softer now.
He looked happier than I had seen him in years.
"How is my perfect granddaughter doing?" he whispered, walking over to join me by the window.
"She just finished eating," I whispered back, kissing the top of her soft head.
"She's an angel, Dad."
My father smiled warmly, wrapping one arm carefully around my shoulders.
"I brought a little something for her," he said, holding up the velvet box.
"I know she can't wear it yet, but I wanted her to have it."
I carefully took the box with my free hand and popped the lid open.
Inside rested a delicate, incredibly old gold locket on a thin chain.
I gasped softly.
"Dad," I breathed, my eyes welling with happy tears.
"Is this..."
"It was your mother's," my father confirmed, his voice thick with emotion.
"She wore it the day you were born."
"She always said she wanted her first granddaughter to have it."
I looked from the locket to my father, feeling a profound sense of peace settle over my heart.
I didn't need a picture-perfect suburban life to be happy.
I didn't need a husband with a fancy job title to validate my worth.
I had exactly what I needed right here.
I had my daughter, safe and loved beyond measure.
And I had a family that would move heaven and earth to protect us.
"Thank you, Dad," I whispered, leaning my head against his shoulder.
"She’s going to love it."
The baby shifted slightly in my arms, letting out a soft, contented sigh.
She was safe.
May you like
She was strong.
And she would never, ever know a day of fear in her entirely beautiful life.
