Chapter 6 - The Sanctuary in BoiseBy 9:00 PM, the warm, cozy lights of our home in Boise were a welcome sight after the exhausting journey to the mountains.
The boys immediately dropped their parkas in the hallway, racing toward the kitchen where a warm batch of chocolate chip cookies was cooling on the counter.
"Mom!" Asher yelled, grabbing a cookie. "Can we watch the movie tonight? The one with the rescue dogs?"
"Only if your homework is packed in your school bags for tomorrow," I called out, smiling as I hung my coat on the brass rack.
"Already done!" Mason reported, walking into the kitchen with a glass of milk. "Caleb and Liam packed theirs before we left the house this morning."
I knelt down, wrapping my arms around my four boys, burying my face in their dark curls, inhaling the scent of pine, snow, and pure, unadulterated life.
"You boys handled yourselves like absolute professionals today," I whispered proudly.
Caleb grinned. "We learned it from watching you, Mom."
Later that night, after the boys were tucked safely into their beds—sound asleep, dreaming of helicopters and rescue missions—I sat at my kitchen table with a cup of hot chamomile tea.
The snow continued to fall softly outside the window, blanketing our quiet neighborhood in pristine white.
My phone chimed on the table.
It was an unread email notification from an encrypted military defense server.
Subject: Formal Apology & Paternity Acknowledgment - Major Tristan Holloway.
I looked at the screen for three seconds.
Then, with a calm, deliberate motion, I dragged the message directly into the trash folder and emptied the bin.
May you like
I didn't need his apology. I didn't need his regret.
I had everything I would ever need right down the hall, sleeping peacefully under the roof we had built together.
