Chapter 9
The trial was quick this time.
Home invasion.
Attempted murder.
Arson conspiracy.
Violation of a restraining order.
Stalking.
Gun charges.
The evidence was overwhelming.
The security footage.
The gun.
The gas can.
The testimony from the FBI.
The prior convictions.
The jury deliberated for an hour.
Guilty.
On all counts.
Life without parole.
No appeals.
No early release.
No good behavior.
Dominic Hale would die in prison.
This time, it was final.
We went home.
We locked the doors.
We breathed.
For the first time in years...
We really breathed.
The scars didn't go away.
But they faded.
A little more every day.
Sophia turned ten.
She was in fourth grade.
She loved soccer.
She loved art.
She still made glitter necklaces.
But now she made them for Ethan.
For her uncles.
For her grandma.
For Lila.
For me.
Ethan turned twelve.
He was in middle school.
He loved science.
He was on the math team.
He called me Aunt Viv.
He called my brothers Uncle Marc, Uncle Jules, Uncle Vic.
He was family.
Lila met someone.
A nice man.
A pediatrician at the hospital where she worked.
He was kind.
He was honest.
He had no secrets.
He loved Ethan like his own.
They got married last spring.
We were all at the wedding.
Sophia was the flower girl.
Ethan was the best man.
I caught the bouquet.
My brothers cheered.
I laughed.
I threw it back.
I wasn't ready.
Maybe I never would be.
Maybe I didn't need to be.
I had everything I needed right in front of me.
My daughter.
My family.
My friends.
My work.
The foundation had grown.
We now operated in twelve states.
We helped over ten thousand women and kids every year.
Last month, we opened a shelter in town.
For women escaping abusive relationships.
For women who had been lied to.
Used.
Thrown away.
We named it Sophia's House.
After the little girl who had taught me that even the worst lies can't break you.
Not if you have people who love you.
Not if you have the courage to stand up and fight.
The shelter opened on a sunny Saturday.
Hundreds of people came.
The mayor.
Local reporters.
Families we'd helped over the years.
Sophia cut the ribbon.
She was nervous.
But she stood up in front of all those people.
And she spoke.
"My name is Sophia," she said.
Her voice was clear.
Strong.
"A long time ago, my daddy made some very bad choices. He hurt my mommy. He hurt a lot of people. For a long time, I was scared. I thought it was my fault. But my mommy told me it wasn't. My uncles told me it wasn't. My new family told me it wasn't."
She looked at me.
She smiled.
"This house is for all the kids who are scared. For all the mommies who are scared. You are not alone. We are here for you. And it gets better. I promise."
The crowd cheered.
I cried.
My brothers cried.
Lila cried.
Even Victor had to wipe his eyes.
After the ceremony, a woman came up to me.
She held a little girl's hand.
The little girl was about six.
The same age Sophia had been at the gala.
"Thank you," the woman said.
Her voice shook.
"My husband... he was just like yours. I left him last month. We've been staying in a motel. We had nowhere else to go. This house... it's our second chance."
I knelt down.
I looked at the little girl.
She held a crumpled paper necklace in her hand.
Glitter.
Markers.
Tiny heart stickers.
Just like Sophia's.
I smiled.
"You're safe now," I said.
"All of you. This is your home. For as long as you need it."
That night, we had dinner at the estate.
The whole family.
Marcus and his wife.
Julian and his fiancée.
Victor and his wife and their new baby boy.
Lila and her husband and Ethan.
Me and Sophia.
My mom.
We ate.
We laughed.
We told stories.
After dinner, Sophia and Ethan ran outside to catch fireflies.
I stood on the porch.
I watched them.
Victor came out and stood next to me.
"Remember that night at the gala?" he said.
I nodded.
"How could I forget?"
"You called me. You said 'take it all away.' And I said I'd already started."
He smiled.
"I meant it. But I didn't just take away his money. I didn't just take away his company. I took away his power to hurt you. To hurt Sophia. To hurt anyone else. And I'd do it again. In a heartbeat."
I leaned my head on his shoulder.
"I know," I said.
"Thank you. For everything. All of you."
He put his arm around me.
"That's what family does."
We stood there for a long time.
Watching the kids.
Listening to their laughter.
The past was gone.
Buried.
Done.
The future was bright.
May you like
Wide open.
Ours.
