Chapter 19 - The Restored Life
Three months later.
The autumn sun cast a warm golden light over the quiet suburban neighborhood.
Mark stood in the driveway of a small, cozy single-story home three towns away from their old house.
It was a quiet area with oak trees, far away from the ocean and the cliffs.
Lily and Emma were running across the green lawn, laughing as they kicked a soccer ball back and forth.
Their pale skin had returned to a healthy color, and their bright smiles had finally returned.
Marcus walked out of the front porch carrying two cold bottles of lemonade.
He handed one to Mark.
"They look happy, Mark," Marcus said, taking a seat on the porch steps.
"They're starting to forget the bad things," Mark said gently.
"The therapist says they are making incredible progress."
"And you?" Marcus asked, eyeing his friend. "Are you forgetting?"
Mark touched the small scar on his forehead.
"I check the locks four times every night," Mark admitted quietly.
"I don't think I'll ever stop checking the locks."
"That's just being a good father," Marcus smiled slightly.
"The trust fund was officially secured by the state court yesterday," Marcus added.
"It's locked in a private bank until the girls turn twenty-five."
"No one can ever touch it again."
"Good," Mark said, taking a sip of his lemonade. "I don't want a single dollar of that money."
A mail truck pulled up to the curb in front of the house.
The mailman stepped out, dropped a stack of letters into the metal mailbox, and drove away.
Emma ran over to the mailbox excitedly.
"I'll get the mail, Daddy!" Emma cheered.
She pulled out the stack of envelopes and ran back across the grass, handing them to Mark.
Mark flipped through the envelopes casually.
May you like
Bills, advertisements, a postcard from an old colleague.
Then he reached the final envelope at the bottom of the stack.
