Chapter 20 - The Next Ten YearsThe sun began sinking behind the trees.
Lily walked toward her father.
“Penny for your thoughts, old man?”
Daniel laughed.
“Just remembering the night you called me.”
Her smile softened.
“I remember too.”
She hugged him.
“You saved us, Daddy.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No, bug.”
He held her tightly.
“You saved yourself when you picked up that phone.”
Lily's eyes filled with tears.
Behind them, the rest of the family gathered.
Emma.
Noah.
The twins.
Jax.
Little Mia.
Marnie.
Their laughter filled the backyard.
Daniel looked at the people surrounding him.
Ten years ago, he had believed his family had been destroyed.
He had been wrong.
Some families are not defined by the people who leave.
They are defined by the people who stay.
Emma slipped her fingers through his.
“Ready for the next ten years?”
Daniel looked at the children.
Then at the woman he loved.
He smiled.
“More than ready.”
They walked toward the picnic table together.
Toward the laughter.
Toward the cake.
Toward tomorrow.
And somewhere beyond the backyard, beyond the memories, beyond everything they had survived, another chapter was waiting to be written.
Daniel didn't know what it would bring.
None of them did.
But for the first time in his life, the unknown didn't scare him.
Because he wasn't walking into it alone.
The past had taken almost everything from them.
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But the future was still theirs.
And this time, they were ready.
