Chapter 10 - The Sun Rises Again (Ending)
Six months later.
The Vance family had moved out of state in disgrace. Trent was in a juvenile detention facility. The divorce with Sarah was finalized, giving me full custody of Chloe.
It was a Saturday morning. I was in the kitchen, flipping pancakes—burnt on the edges, just the way she liked them. The house didn't smell like reheated dinners anymore. It smelled like coffee and fresh starts.
I heard footsteps bounding down the stairs. Chloe walked into the kitchen, wearing bright colors, her headphones nowhere in sight.
"Morning, Dad," she smiled, stealing a piece of bacon from the pan.
It was a real smile. The kind that reached her eyes. The kind I thought I had lost forever.
I poured her a glass of orange juice and sat across from her.
"You have a good week at school, kiddo?" I asked.
"The best," she said, taking a bite of her pancake. She looked at me, her expression softening with an immense, unspoken gratitude. "Thanks for fixing it, Dad."
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"I'll always fix it, Chloe," I promised. "No matter what."
I used to think being a father meant paying the bills. Now I knew the truth. Being a father meant standing in the dark, fighting the monsters, and making damn sure they never came back.
