Chapter 13 - The Homecoming
When my flight touched down at O'Hare International Airport on Friday afternoon, Chicago welcomed me with a brilliant, cloudless sky and a cool, refreshing breeze rolling off Lake Michigan.
Zoe was waiting for me at the arrivals terminal with Lily standing right beside her, holding a giant, hand-painted poster that read: “WELCOME HOME, CEO MOMMY!”
A warm surge of pure, unfiltered joy flooded my chest. I dropped my roller bag, sprinted the final ten feet, and scooped Lily up into my arms, spinning her around as she shrieked with delighted laughter.
“You’re back! You’re really back!” Lily squealed, throwing her arms around my neck and burying her face in my shoulder.
“I missed you so much, bug,” I whispered, kissing her forehead repeatedly. I set her down, pulled a brightly wrapped box of authentic British Cadbury chocolates from my tote bag, and handed it to her. “And here is your souvenir.”
“Jackpot!” Lily cheered, ripping open the wrapper immediately.
Zoe walked over, handing me a fresh iced matcha latte she had bought from the airport kiosk. “How was London? Did you conquer the British empire?”
“Conquered it, signed it, and left it wanting more,” I smiled, linking my arm through hers as we walked toward the parking garage. “And how were things here? Did you survive two days of middle-school drama and dog walking?”
“A breeze,” Zoe laughed, tossing her car keys into the air and catching them. “Though we did have one very strange piece of mail delivered to the Evanston house yesterday afternoon. Forwarded from your old residential legal file.”
I paused, unlocking the passenger door of my SUV. “Mail? What kind of mail?”
Zoe’s playful demeanor shifted slightly, a hint of professional seriousness returning to her eyes. She reached into her designer tote and pulled out a thick, official-looking envelope bearing the emblem of the State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
“It’s not from a lawyer,” Zoe said quietly, handing the envelope to me. “It’s from Mark.”
I looked down at the heavy paper. My name was written across the front in Mark’s familiar, slightly shaky handwriting.
“Did you open it?” I asked.
“No,” Zoe shook her head firmly. “It’s addressed to you. And legally, since his parental rights were permanently terminated by Judge Vance back in 2026, he has zero legal standing to contact either you or Lily. But I figured you should decide whether to burn it, shred it, or read it.”
I stood beside the car for a long moment, listening to the hum of airport traffic rushing past us. I looked at Lily, who was happily munching on a chocolate bar in the backseat, completely oblivious to the paper in my hand.
May you like
I slipped the unopened envelope directly into the side pocket of my tote bag, zipped it shut, and climbed into the driver's seat.
“We’ll read it,” I said calmly, turning the ignition. “Or rather... I’ll toss it into the incinerator downtown on Monday morning. Some chapters don’t deserve a second reading.”
