Chapter 15 - The Horizon Without Shadows
The evening following the symposium was quiet and still at the Cape Neddick cottage.
A gentle fire crackled in the stone hearth, casting a warm, dancing glow across the hardwood floors and the rows of bookshelves lining the living room walls.
Holly was fast asleep upstairs in her cozy white bed, clutching Captain Bun tightly to her chest, her breathing deep, even, and healthy.
I sat on the wide porch swing wrapped in a thick wool blanket, holding a mug of chamomile tea as I watched the silver moonlight ripple across the surface of the dark ocean.
The phone in my pocket vibrated softly.
It wasn't an urgent legal notice, an angry creditor, or a desperate plea from the past.
It was a simple text message from Calvin Rhodes:
The foundation board approved the final construction budget for the Evelyn Miller Wing. Groundbreaking is set for next spring. Well done, Marissa. Your mother would be infinitely proud.
I smiled into the darkness, locking the phone and setting it gently on the wooden side table.
Far down the coastline, the lighthouse beam swept a steady, protective arc across the rolling waves, cutting effortlessly through the night.
The storm was gone.
May you like
The debris had been cleared.
And ahead of us lay an endless, beautiful ocean of light, peace, and absolute freedom.
