Chapter 6: Home
Chapter 6: Home
One year later, Noah stood onstage during his elementary school's "People Who Make Me Feel Safe" presentation.
When his turn came, he held up a drawing of our family.
He smiled toward the audience.
"My mom and dad always come when I need them," he said. "No matter what."
Emily squeezed my hand.
Neither of us could stop crying.
Driving home that afternoon, Noah leaned back in the car and asked,
"Are we okay now?"
I looked at him in the rearview mirror.
"We're better than okay," I said.
"We're together."
He smiled, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep before we reached home.
The basement, the fear, and the betrayal would always be part of our family's story.
But they would never define our future.
Love, truth, and the courage to protect one another became the foundation we chose instead.
And from that day on, Noah never had to wonder whether someone would come when he called.
May you like
Because we always would.
The End.
