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The sterile scent of antiseptic in Vanderbilt Medical Center faded, replaced in my mind by the smell of freshly cut grass, damp earth, and expensive gasoline that coated my father-in-law's sprawling estate in Brentwood. / Chapter 10 / 10

Chapter 10 - THE LAST SUNSETThe sun was dipping below the horizon behind the Franklin hills, painting the sky in deep shades of amber, indigo, and violet.

The air smelled of woodsmoke, damp leaves, and approaching winter.

Emily was sitting on the porch steps, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, her head resting comfortably against my knee as I stroked her hair. The puppy was curled up asleep at our feet, breathing softly in rhythm with the crickets starting their evening chorus in the tall grass.

"Daddy?" Emily asked softly, her voice barely a murmur.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Do we ever have to go back to Brentwood?"

I looked down at her, seeing the absolute peace in her wide, innocent eyes—eyes that had seen too much darkness, but now reflected only the warm glow of the porch light.

"Never, Emily," I said, wrapping my arm tighter around her shoulders, pulling her close against the chill of the evening wind. "We're never going back."

"Good," she whispered, closing her eyes. "Because this is our real home."

"Yes," I murmured, staring out across the dark hills where the stars were beginning to pierce the twilight like tiny, unyielding points of light. "This is our home. And nobody is ever taking it away from us again."

I reached down, picked up my coffee mug from the wooden floorboards, and took a slow sip.

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