Chapter 10 - The Last Phone CallIt was a quiet Friday evening, exactly one year since that rainy afternoon in Columbus when my phone first buzzed with a black FaceTime screen.
I was sitting on our apartment balcony, watching the sunset melt into the Pacific Ocean, listening to the gentle crash of the waves against the shore.
My phone buzzed on the small wooden table beside my coffee mug.
My heart skipped a beat for a split second—a phantom reflex from a life of terror. I looked at the screen.
It wasn't an unknown number. It wasn't an emergency.
It was a video call from Hailey, who was sitting just inside the living room floor, building an elaborate castle out of colorful plastic blocks.
I swiped to answer.
Her bright, smiling face filled the screen, framed by the warm golden light of our new home.
"Mom! Look!" she yelled happily, holding up a crooked tower of red and blue blocks. "I built it all by myself! And nobody can ever, ever knock it down because it's built on a strong table!"
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I smiled, a profound sense of peace washing over my soul as I wiped a stray tear from my cheek.
"I know, sweet girl," I whispered softly, looking out at the endless horizon where the sky met the sea. "I know. And this time... nothing will ever break it."
