Chapter 6 - THE SUNRISE OVER CHICAGOSix months later.
The early autumn wind was crisp, carrying the golden scent of falling leaves and woodsmoke across the quiet Chicago suburbs.
Elise Hart stood on the front porch of her home, holding six-month-old Samuel in a baby carrier against her chest. David stood beside her, wrapping a warm wool blanket around her shoulders as they watched a silver sedan pull into their driveway.
The car doors opened.
Sarah Byrne stepped out from the driver’s side, followed by a much taller, healthier-looking Willa wearing a bright pink jacket, and six-year-old Theo, who immediately sprinted across the lawn toward the front steps, shouting, “Elise! David! We brought the pumpkin pie!”
Elise laughed, walking down the steps to greet them as the crisp morning sun broke through the maple trees, painting the suburban street in warm, amber light.
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There was no rain today. No sirens. No frantic calls in the dark.
Just a table set for dinner, a house filled with laughter, and a family that had finally found their way out of the storm and into the safety of an unbreakable dawn.
