Chapter 17 - THE GARDEN
Spring came early that year. The flowers bloomed. The trees turned green. The garden—once the site of our worst nightmare—came alive again.
I hired a new gardener. But James oversaw everything. He walked the grounds each morning. He checked the gates. He made sure it was safe.
One afternoon, Olivia and Lily were planting flowers near the rose bushes. The very spot where everything had begun.
I walked out and stood beside them.
“What are you planting?” I asked.
Lily looked up, dirt on her nose. “Tulips. Mama Clara loved tulips.”
Olivia looked at me. “And we’re planting them here. So something beautiful grows where something bad happened.”
My heart swelled. “That’s a wonderful idea.”
James walked up behind me. “They’ve been working on it all week. Said it was time to take the garden back.”
May you like
“Take it back,” I repeated. “Yes. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
We stood together—me, James, Olivia, Lily—watching the girls dig and plant and laugh. The gate stood open. But this time… it was open to let the light in.
