Chapter 7 - Unbroken and Forever SovereignAt 8:30 p.m., as the Oregon sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky over the Pacific Ocean in brilliant shades of rose, gold, and deep sapphire, the private garden was illuminated by dozens of soft, twinkling fairy lights strung through the coastal pines.
Six-month-old Leo was fast asleep inside his second-floor room, wrapped in his cozy blankets, his breathing soft, peaceful, and unbroken.
Miriam Cho and Marco sat near the stone hearth on the patio, drinking fine wine, laughing happily as they listened to the ocean waves crashing against the rocks below.
I stood near the wooden balustrade overlooking the sea, holding a warm cup of tea, feeling a deep, weightless peace settle into every corner of my soul.
Dante walked out onto the porch, sliding his broad, warm arms around my waist from behind, resting his chin comfortably against my shoulder blade.
"Look at the water, Elena," Dante whispered softly into my ear. "It's clear."
I reached down, covering his broad, warm hands with mine, holding him tight against my body.
"It’s clear because we’re home, my love," I murmured, turning around in his arms to look up into his clear gray eyes.
There were no Vivian Crosses standing in cold bedrooms. There were no arrogant threats spoken in dark hotel rooms. There were no tears swallowed in quiet nights.
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The lonely, broken wife was dead forever. The sovereign matriarch had claimed her throne.
And standing under the vast, unbroken sky, wrapped in the arms of the man who loved me, holding my son's future safe in my hands, I knew that my life, my heart, and my future were finally, beautifully, and forever home.
