Chapter 10 - The Open Window
Two years had passed since the night the glass shattered.
My graphic design firm now employed three full-time designers, and we had just moved into a dedicated studio space downtown with high ceilings, brick walls, and massive windows that let in endless streams of natural light. Maya was running around now, a bright, laughing toddler with dark hair and an unstoppable curiosity about the world around her.
We lived in a charming, sunlit house near the park, with a wide backyard where Maya chased butterflies while I gardened in the warm afternoon air. There were no deadbolts on the outside of our doors. Every window opened freely to the breeze, letting the world in without fear.
On a warm Saturday evening, I sat on our back porch watching the sunset paint the sky in shades of amber and violet. Maya was fast asleep inside after a long day of playing in the sandbox, her breathing soft and steady.
My phone buzzed on the patio table. It was an email notification from Marcus Thorne—not regarding any legal battle, but a holiday card wishing us well and letting me know he had finally retired to travel the coast.
I smiled, archived the message, and set the phone down.
I walked inside, wandering through the quiet, peaceful rooms of our home. I paused in the kitchen, looking out through the pristine glass window above the sink. Outside, the neighborhood was settling into a gentle dusk, porch lights flickering on one by one like friendly beacons in the dark.
May you like
I remembered the girl on the cold marble floor, terrified and trapped, wondering if she would survive the night. I placed my hand flat against the cool glass of the window, feeling the sturdy frame beneath my fingertips.
I had broken the glass once to save my daughter and myself. I would never let anyone close a window on my life again. We were free, we were safe, and the future stretched out before us, wide open and entirely ours to write.
