Chapter 10 - The Open Door
The sun had dipped below the tree line, casting long, amber shadows across the Greenwich estate as the evening routine began.
Inside the nursery, the air was warm, scented with lavender and the faint, sweet smell of baby powder. Ethan stood by the window, watching the lights of the boats twinkling out on the Sound, while four small cribs hummed with the quiet, rhythmic breathing of a household finally at peace.
The door was open—just as Clara had promised it would be. Not a single lock was turned. Not a single memory was hidden behind cardboard boxes in the basement.
Ethan walked over to Ava’s crib, adjusting her light cotton blanket with a practiced, gentle touch. He moved to Owen, then Miles, and finally stopped beside Sophie, who was curled into a tight little ball with her thumb tucked securely against her cheek.
He reached down, brushing a stray dark curl away from her forehead.
"Goodnight, team," Ethan whispered into the quiet room.
May you like
As if in response, Sophie let out a soft, contented sigh in her sleep, her tiny chest rising and falling in perfect harmony with the rest of the house.
Ethan turned off the main overhead light, leaving only the soft glow of the golden constellations stenciled on the wall by a woman who had loved him enough to leave him a map for the dark. He walked out into the hallway, leaving the door wide open behind him, and descended the stairs into a future that was finally worth the wait.
