Chapter 13 - Leo's QuestionWeeks passed.
One afternoon, Leo sat at the kitchen table drawing a picture.
Clara glanced over.
“What are you drawing?”
“A house.”
She smiled.
“Is that Grandma's house?”
“No.”
Leo shook his head.
“It's our new house.”
Clara's smile disappeared.
Their new house.
A simple drawing.
Blue sky.
Green grass.
Three people standing in front.
And a dog.
No dark windows.
No angry shadows.
No father.
Clara swallowed hard.
“Who's that?”
Leo pointed at a small figure.
“That's Mommy.”
“And that's Grandma.”
Leo pointed to another.
“And me.”
Clara hugged him.
For years, she had wondered what violence had taken from her son.
Now she understood what she could still give him.
A childhood.
May you like
A home.
A memory of safety.
Related Stories
Chapter 14 - The CourtroomThe courtroom was quiet.
Chapter 15 - The Night of the VerdictThe verdict did not erase the past.
Chapter 16 - Learning to BreatheHealing came in small moments.
Chapter 17 - The Woman in the MirrorMonths later, Clara stood before a mirror.
Chapter 18 - A New BeginningThey eventually settled into a peaceful home where sunlight filled the rooms.
Chapter 19 - The First Christmas Without FearWinter arrived.
