Chapter 7 - The Empire of Three Little Girls
Three months later, the bitter chill of a Chicago winter had surrendered to the vibrant, green warmth of a late spring afternoon.
In the sunlit courtyard of a sprawling estate overlooking Lake Michigan—a home with tall French doors, sprawling gardens, and a kitchen adorned with hand-painted wildflowers—three little girls were running through the sprinkler.
Lily chased Rose across the emerald lawn, shrieking with laughter as water droplets caught the afternoon sun like scattered diamonds. Daisy, now wearing a yellow sundress that matched her bright, healthy smile, sat on the grass weaving clover crowns with an intensity usually reserved for master architects.
Inside the open kitchen, Clara stood by the marble counter. Her cheeks had regained their natural warmth, her chestnut hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and her eyes sparkled with a deep, untroubled peace.
Joshua stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. He wore a simple linen shirt, his expensive silk ties and leather portfolios long since banished to a forgotten closet.
"The board is threatening a mutiny," Joshua murmured into her hair, a faint smile playing on his lips. "They say if I don't sign off on the Asian logistics expansion by Friday, they're going to call an emergency vote."
Clara turned in his arms, looping her hands around his neck. She looked out the window at their daughters, then back up at her husband.
"And what did you tell them?"
"I told them," Joshua said, pressing his lips softly to hers, "that my office hours are strictly from nine to ten in the morning, and the rest of the time, I'm busy being a father."
From the lawn outside, a joyful shout echoed through the open windows:
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"Daddy! Come see! Daisy made a crown for you!"
Joshua smiled, taking Clara’s hand in his, and stepped out into the golden sunlight, leaving the cold glass towers of Chicago far behind them.
