Chapter 17 - THE NEW HORIZON
That weekend, I took the kids on a weekend trip to the coast—something Luca had always deemed “too expensive and inconvenient” whenever we suggested a family getaway. We stayed in a glass-walled cliffside hotel overlooking the crashing waves of the Pacific, walking along the damp sand as the salt spray kissed our faces.
Leo collected smooth sea glass, while Kelly talked excitedly about her upcoming high school applications and her dream of studying corporate law at Stanford under Rachel’s mentorship.
“Mom, do you ever miss the old house?” Kelly asked suddenly, pausing to watch a flock of seagulls dive toward the foam.
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“Not for a single second, sweetheart,” I said, wrapping my arms around both of my children against the ocean breeze. “The old house had walls, Kelly. This place has a future.”
For the first time in my life, I wasn't looking over my shoulder, wondering what lie was being spun behind my back or what betrayal was ticking away like a time bomb in the next room. The horizon was wide, open, and entirely mine.
