Chapter 10 - The Unbroken Thread
Arthur stood up from the bench and walked across the damp grass toward his daughter.
Lily turned as he approached, jumping into his arms without hesitation. Arthur lifted her high onto his shoulder, her small arms wrapping around his neck as they looked out over the rolling hills of the estate.
In his pocket, Arthur felt the crumpled, flattened piece of cardstock—the DEPART ticket he had smoothed out and kept as a reminder of the night he almost lost everything.
He withdrew the paper, holding it over the edge of the stone terrace.
With a flick of his wrist, he let it go. The autumn wind caught the crimson-stamped card, carrying it up over the treeline, tumbling into the endless blue sky until it was nothing more than a speck of dust disappearing into the horizon.
Arthur tightened his hold on Lily, feeling the warm, steady rhythm of her heartbeat against his chest.
"Where are we going now, Daddy?" Lily asked softly into his ear.
May you like
Arthur turned his back on Asche Hall, looking down the long, open road leading away from the shadows of the past.
"Home, Lily," Arthur replied, his voice strong, clear, and unshakeable. "We're finally going home."
