Chapter 15 - The House by the Orchard
Six months later, spring had returned to northern Illinois.
A modest two-story craftsman home sat nestled against a blooming apple orchard, forty miles south of Blackwood and a world away from the cold marble and locked doors of the Calloway estate.
In the backyard, sunlight filtered through white blossoms.
Maisie, now four years old, wore a bright yellow sundress and red rubber rain boots. She was laughing, chasing a golden retriever puppy across the lush green grass, holding a small plastic watering can.
On the wooden back porch, Evelyn sat in a rocking chair, a warm cup of herbal tea resting on the side table. Vanessa was sitting at the patio table nearby, reviewing patient charts for her new job at the local pediatric clinic.
Maisie tripped on the grass, tumbled into a pile of soft dandelion blossoms, and giggled uncontrollably as the puppy licked her cheek.
"Grandma! Mommy! Look!" Maisie shouted, scrambling to her feet and holding up a tiny white daisy she had picked from the lawn.
She ran up the porch steps, her little boots thumping rhythmically on the cedar deck boards. She ran straight into Evelynâs open arms, burying her face into her grandmotherâs shoulder before turning to hand the flower to Vanessa.
Evelyn looked out over the open, sun-drenched yard. There were no deadbolts on the doors of this house. No smart locks with hidden feeds. No secrets buried in bank vaults.
The front gate was unlocked, swinging gently in the warm spring breeze.
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Maisie took Evelynâs hand and pulled her toward the grass. "Come on, Grandma! The water in the sprinkler is warm today!"
Evelyn smiled, stepping down into the sunshine, holding her granddaughterâs hand tight, and finally letting the past wash away.
