Chapter 15 - The Penthouse of Light
That night, back in the penthouse, the sun set over Elliott Bay in a breathtaking display of violent crimson, soft gold, and deep purple.
The grand living room was alive with the sweetest sounds on earth.
Little Leo was babbling happily in his playpen, stacking soft blocks. Sadie was sitting at the dining table, carefully drawing a picture of our family with bright wax crayons.
I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the ferries cross the dark waters of the bay, feeling Cameron step up behind me.
He wrapped his arms securely around my waist, pulling me back against his chest, resting his chin on my shoulder just as he had done two years ago.
"What are you thinking about, Mrs. Hale?" he murmured softly, his lips brushing against my ear.
"I was thinking about the first night I walked into this penthouse," I said, turning slightly in his arms to look up into his handsome, peaceful face. "I was terrified you were going to fire me because Sadie snuck into your private room."
Cameron smiled—a warm, brilliant, unbroken smile that lit up his dark eyes.
"That was the greatest day of my life, Clara," he whispered, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to my lips. "The day my house stopped being a fortress, and became a home."
Outside, the city lights flickered to life across Seattle, glowing like endless stars against the night sky.
The penthouse was no longer quiet.
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It was filled with music, laughter, children's footsteps running down the hall, and a love so vast and unshakeable that no darkness could ever touch it again.
And in the quiet space beside the grand piano, where a small silver craft star caught the moonlight, the ghosts of the past finally rested in peace.
