Chapter 7 - The Final Sleep
That evening, for the first time in over three years, Julian walked into his master bedroom and left the overhead lights completely off.
The room was bathed in the soft, silver glow of a full moon pouring through the wide glass windows. The heavy velvet drapes were pulled all the way back, framing the vast, starry night sky.
Julian stood by the window for a long moment, looking out over the sprawling green lawns and the glowing butterfly garden below. He felt a gentle breeze drift through the slightly cracked window, carrying the sweet scent of summer earth and blooming flowers.
He closed his eyes.
For a terrifying split second, the old phantom of guilt whispered in the back of his mind: If you sleep, you will forget.
Julian took a deep, steady breath, remembering the turtle's secret. Love isn't a picture you have to stare at all day so you don't forget it. Love is the house you live in.
Grace and Caroline weren't trapped in the darkness of the grave; they were woven into the very fabric of his soul, living on in every act of kindness, every laugh, every moment of peace he allowed himself to experience. They were the foundation holding him steady.
May you like
Julian smiled softly into the cool night air.
He walked over to the California king bed, slipped beneath the cool silk sheets, and closed his eyes. Within minutes, wrapped in the quiet, healing embrace of the night, Julian Mercer drifted into a deep, dreamless, and completely peaceful sleep.
