Chapter 10 - The Sovereign Light
One year after the rainy Friday night six men laughed above me on a marble floor, the city of Chicago was alive with the vibrant, golden light of late summer.
It was an exquisite Sunday evening. The sun dipped slowly behind the western skyline, painting the lake and the skyscrapers in breathtaking strokes of violet, amber, and molten gold.
A long cedar dining table was set upon the wide stone terrace of our Astor Street home, decorated with fresh hydrangeas, platters of fresh local seafood, sweet corn, and bowls of freshly churned vanilla gelato.
Dr. Sarah Lin, Frank Callahan, Mateo, our dedicated staff, and our closest friends sat around the table, their cheerful conversation and warm laughter drifting through the open French doors of the drawing room.
Dominic and I stood by the limestone balustrade, watching the sunset paint the water in golden ripples.
Dominic wore an ordinary linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his strong arms wrapped securely around my waist from behind, resting his chin gently against my shoulder, his heavy wedding ring warm against my fingers.
"What are you thinking about, my love?" Dominic murmured softly into my ear.
I leaned back against his broad chest, feeling the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat against mine.
I reached up, my fingers gently brushing the soft, thick hair that now fell gracefully past my collarbones, feeling the cool evening breeze off the lake.
"I was thinking about the clock on the wall at 9:57," I answered softly, a warm, peaceful smile touching my lips. "How I looked at the three minutes remaining and thought my world was falling apart... and how you walked through those doors and made sure it would never be broken again."
Dominic turned me in his arms, his slate-gray eyes shining with boundless, eternal devotion, and gently cupped my cheek in his warm, scarred hand.
"You were never broken, Elena," Dominic smiled, leaning down to press his lips against mine in a slow, sacred kiss. "You were just waiting for your kingdom to arrive."
May you like
The laughter of our real family rose behind us into the warm evening air, joining together in a song of pure, unbroken joy.
The electric clippers were forgotten, the bullies had been swept away into the dust of their own ruin, the restaurant of cruelty was erased, and the sanctuary we had built with our own hands stood strong, open, sovereign, and filled with an eternal lifetime of love, truth, and unbroken peace.
