flash
My phone was still pressed against my ear. On the other end, Marcus—my most trusted lieutenant—was breathing heavily. The sound of muffled police radios and shouting filtered through the speaker. / Chapter 16 / 20

Chapter 16 - The Art of HealingThe following Saturday, the penthouse was filled with the sound of cheerful laughter and screeching markers.

Leo was sitting at the kitchen island, completely engrossed in drawing a massive superhero comic book. On the cover was a towering figure in a sharp black suit, holding a massive shield, with a smaller superhero wearing princess wings standing beside him.

“Look, Uncle Thomas!” Leo called out proudly as I walked into the kitchen carrying two mugs of hot cocoa. “It’s us!”

I set the mugs down and leaned over his shoulder to inspect the artwork. The superhero in the suit had glowing red eyes and a terrifying grin, while the princess was blasting laser beams out of her tiara.

“Impressive,” I said with an approving nod. “Though I think my shoulders look a bit wider in real life.”

Leo giggled, a bright, carefree sound that still felt like a miracle every time I heard it. “You’re fighting the bad guys from Dallas in this issue.”

“Ah. Naturally,” I smiled, pulling up a stool. “Did we win?”

“Of course we won,” Leo declared with absolute certainty. “You threw them out the window.”

“A bit dramatic, but effective,” I chuckled, taking a sip of my cocoa.

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