Chapter 12 - The Man Who StayedLeo joined her on the terrace.
He carried two glasses of lemonade.
“You've been staring at the ocean for twenty minutes.”
Alivia smiled.
“It's peaceful.”
“You deserve peaceful.”
She looked at him.
“You always say things like that.”
“Because they're true.”
There was no pressure in his voice.
No demand.
No expectation.
That was what made him different.
Preston had always wanted something from her.
Leo simply wanted her to be happy.
They walked along the shoreline.
Alivia told him she still sometimes woke from nightmares.
Leo didn't tell her to forget.
He didn't tell her to move on.
He simply took her hand.
“I'll be here.”
May you like
Three words.
They meant more than every promise Preston had ever made.
Related Stories
Chapter 13 - The New Vance LegacyMarcus Vance watched his daughter from the terrace.
Chapter 14 - The Sapphire RingOne quiet evening, Leo asked Alivia to meet him near the old lighthouse.
Chapter 15 - A Different Kind of WeddingThe second wedding was nothing like the first.
Chapter 16 - The Woman Who SurvivedMonths passed.
Chapter 17 - The LetterOne winter morning, a letter arrived.
Chapter 18 - The Next GenerationYears later, the Vance Foundation opened its largest center in Manhattan.
