Chapter 9 - A Year of Sunsets
May returned to Charlotte.
The air grew warm, heavy with the scent of blooming magnolia trees and honeysuckle. The city buzzed with early summer energy.
Mother's Day arrived on a sunny Sunday, exactly three hundred and sixty-five days after the brunch at Grand Bistro.
A year prior, Emily would have spent this morning in a state of high anxiety—ironing a dress she didn't want to wear, checking her bank account to ensure she could cover an expensive meal, and preparing herself for the inevitable sharp remarks from her mother.
This morning, the sun broke over the trees at 8:00 AM, casting long, golden beams of light across the master bedroom in Dilworth.
Emily woke up late.
The house was completely silent, save for the soft sound of birds outside the window and the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifting up from the kitchen.
She rolled over in bed. Daniel was already up, having left a handwritten note on her nightstand alongside a fresh vase of yellow wildflowers picked from their garden.
Happy Sunday, my love. Coffee is ready on the patio whenever you are.
Emily smiled. She threw on a comfortable cream-colored linen robe, walked downstairs, and stepped out onto the back porch.
Daniel sat at the outdoor table, reading the Sunday paper. He looked up, his face breaking into that warm, steady smile that had been her anchor through the darkest storm of her life.
"Morning, VP," Daniel teased gently, handing her a steaming mug of black coffee.
"Morning," Emily said, leaning down to kiss his cheek before sitting in the sunlit chair beside him.
She took a sip of the coffee. It was hot, rich, and perfect.
She looked at her phone resting on the table. There were no blocked calls attempting to break through. No panicked voicemails. No frantic demands for money.
May you like
She didn't buy flowers for Diane Whitmore today. She didn't book a table at Grand Bistro. She didn't send a text card.
She sat on her porch, stretched her legs out into the warm May sunshine, and watched the breeze move through the green leaves of the oak trees above.
