Chapter 18 - THE FAMILY WE CHOSEThe trial ended months later.
Diane accepted a plea agreement.
The details were private.
But the consequences were real.
She could no longer contact us.
Not Ryan.
Not me.
Not Olivia.
Not through friends.
Not through relatives.
Not through anonymous letters.
Nothing.
For the first time, our house became quiet.
Richard came over every Sunday.
My father built a second crib.
Margaret became Olivia's unofficial grandmother.
Ryan and I bought a small house with a backyard.
The first night there, we sat on the porch.
Olivia slept inside.
The neighborhood was quiet.
No police lights.
No lawyers.
No threats.
Just crickets.
Ryan took my hand.
"Do you ever think about that day?"
"Every day."
"The kitchen?"
"The slap."
He looked down.
"I wish I could erase it."
I leaned against his shoulder.
"You can't erase what happened."
"But?"
"We can decide what it means."
May you like
He kissed my forehead.
And for the first time, I believed the nightmare was behind us.
