Chapter 18 - The Life They Almost LostYears later, David still remembered the phone call.
He still woke sometimes from nightmares.
But the nightmares became less frequent.
The children grew.
Mia learned to ride a bicycle.
Leo joined a youth basketball team.
Elaine attended every game.
Whenever Leo scored, he looked toward the bleachers.
“Grandma!”
She always stood.
Always applauded.
Always smiled.
Because she knew exactly how fragile ordinary moments were.
A birthday.
A school play.
A family dinner.
A child laughing beneath a summer sky.
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These were the things Valerie had tried to destroy.
And these were the things they had fought to reclaim.
