Chapter 8 - The Shadow at the Window
Two weeks passed.
Elena’s recovery at Mount Sinai was progressing rapidly. The doctors assured me that with proper medication and rest, she would be back on her feet within a month.
Lily moved into the Bay Ridge estate completely. We bought her new clothes, books, painting supplies, and arranged for a private tutor to help her catch up on the schoolwork she had missed while scouring the waterfront for copper.
Despite the comfort of her new life, Lily retained her quiet, sharp awareness. She didn't care much for the fancy dresses Mrs. Gable bought her, preferring her comfortable jeans and oversized sweaters. And every evening at sunset, she would sit by the tall arched window in the library, looking out at the harbor lights.
One evening, as I sat at my desk reviewing shipping schedules, Lily walked in quietly.
She was holding a small piece of paper.
“What do you have there, Lily?” I asked, setting down my pen.
“I drew something,” she said, handing the paper to me.
It was a watercolor sketch—surprisingly well-done for a ten-year-old, clearly inherited from her mother. It showed a big warehouse beside gray water. In the center was a chair, and beside the chair were two figures holding hands, each with a bright crescent moon drawn on their wrists.
I looked at the drawing, feeling a lump rise in my throat.
“It’s beautiful, Lily,” I said gently.
“Dominic?” she asked, taking a step closer to my chair.
“Yes?”
“Is Mom coming to live here too when she gets out of the hospital?”
I looked into her hopeful blue eyes. I had spent eleven years apart from Elena, driven by fear and the misguided belief that my world would destroy her. But seeing Lily here, seeing how complete my life had become in just fourteen days, I realized that my fear had been the real enemy all along.
“If she’ll have us, Lily,” I said softly. “Yes. She’s coming home.”
Suddenly, the house phone on my desk rang.
May you like
It was Frankie.
“Boss,” Frankie’s voice was urgent. “We have a problem at the hospital. A vehicle registered to Tony Miller just pulled into the parking garage. He’s not alone—he’s got two guys with him.”
