Chapter 10 - Unshakable Foundations
Later that afternoon, after the crowds had thinned and the media crews had packed up their cameras, David and Naomi walked together along the pedestrian walkway near the center of the Duwamish River Bridge.
The wind off Puget Sound was warm and brisk, carrying the clean scent of salt water and pine. Below them, the steel and concrete piers of the bridge stood rooted deep into the riverbed, immovable, strong, and engineered to weather any storm the earth could produce.
Naomi skipped ahead a few steps, her patent-leather shoes clicking rhythmically against the pristine concrete walkway. She stopped beside a reinforced glass viewing panel set into the bridge deck, peering down into the deep, swirling currents of the river far below.
David caught up to her, resting his hands gently on her small shoulders.
“Penny for your thoughts, structural engineer,” David smiled down at her.
Naomi looked up, her dark eyes sparkling with intelligence and joy. She held Barnaby up to her chest, smoothing his worn blue ears one last time.
“I was just thinking, Dad,” Naomi said, her voice clear and sweet against the wind. “Bridges are really amazing.”
“Why is that, pumpkin?” David asked softly.
“Because they connect places that were separated,” Naomi said simply. “And they don't fall down, no matter how hard the wind blows, because they know exactly what they’re built on.”
David pulled his daughter into a tight, warm embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head as he looked out across the magnificent sprawl of the city they now called home.
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The journey had started with a disputed seat on a crowded airplane, a cold stranger in a charcoal suit, and a little girl holding a faded blue rabbit. But looking back, Naomi knew the most important lesson of all: when you know who you are and what your ticket is worth, you never have to move for anyone.
Your seat is already waiting for you, and the foundation beneath your feet is entirely your own.
