Chapter 8 - The Journey Home
The evening traffic in the city was heavy, but the hum of my truck’s engine felt soothing. The neon lights of downtown blinked against the twilight sky as I crossed the bridge leading away from the corporate financial district toward the quiet, leafy suburbs.
My phone buzzed in the console cup holder. I glanced down at the screen.
It was a text message from June.
“Dad! Are you coming home soon? I finished my painting of the new castle, and I saved the biggest slice of pepperoni pizza for you!”
A warm, radiant smile broke across my face, washing away every lingering shadow of the past five years. I picked up the phone at the red light and replied.
“On my way, bug. Save me a seat.”
When I pulled into the driveway of our house, the porch light was glowing warmly, casting a golden hue across the old oak tree in the front yard. Through the living room window, I could see June sitting at the kitchen table, her paintbrush moving fluidly across a canvas, humming a cheerful tune to herself.
I parked the truck, stepped out into the cool evening air, and took a deep breath.
May you like
The past was gone, buried beneath the rubble of a broken cake and a crumbling empire. But here, inside the fortress we had built together, there was no fear, no ultimatums, and no conditional love.
There was only peace. And a kingdom that would never fall.
