Chapter 19 - Healing the NeighborhoodWith the Vance syndicate dismantled and all fraudulent deeds annulled by federal decree, the cloud that had hung over our neighborhood for years finally lifted.
The old community trust was officially restored, returning the historical family homes back to their rightful owners. City workers arrived to plant new hydrangeas along the fence lines, restoring the vibrant colors of the gardens our mothers had tended decades ago.
Thomas Mercer sat on his front porch every afternoon, sipping warm tea and watching the children play down the street, his health visibly improving with every passing week as the stress of the past three years evaporated.
Adrian and I spent our weekends restoring the old wrap-around porch on my mother's house, hammering new cedar planks into place while the warm autumn sun beat down on our backs.
"You know," Adrian said, pausing with a hammer in his hand as he looked over at me, "out of everything that happened... the wedding, the chaos, the trial... I wouldn't change a single thing."
May you like
I smiled, wiping sawdust from my cheek. "Even the eighty-nine-dollar beige dress?"
"Especially the dress," Adrian laughed, walking over and wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me close. "It was the best thing that ever happened to us."
