Chapter 10 - The Morning AfterMorning arrived without asking permission.
Sunlight spilled across Eleanor's guest room.
Clara woke suddenly.
For a few seconds, she didn't remember where she was.
Then she heard birds outside.
No shouting.
No footsteps.
No doors slamming.
No Tyler.
She began to cry.
Not because she was afraid.
Because she was safe.
Leo appeared in the doorway wearing pajamas.
“Mommy?”
Clara opened her arms.
He climbed into bed.
“Can we stay here?”
She kissed his forehead.
“Yes.”
The word felt different now.
It felt real.
Downstairs, Eleanor prepared breakfast.
She moved slowly through the kitchen, exhausted by everything that had happened.
But she also felt something she hadn't felt in years.
Responsibility.
She knew protecting Clara and Leo would not erase her past mistakes.
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It would not undo what Tyler had done.
But perhaps doing the right thing now could prevent another terrible chapter.
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