Chapter 5 - The Gift of MemoriesEthan sat on the edge of the large velvet bed inside the warm guest room.
All four little girls were propped up against fluffy down pillows, wearing warm cotton pajamas, sipping warm chicken broth from small silver bowls. Their color was slowly returning, their cheeks tinged with a soft, healthy pink.
Ethan opened Clara’s journal.
Inside the front cover, in Clara’s familiar, elegant handwriting, was a entry dated three years prior:
"To my four little stars—Ava, Mia, Chloe, and Grace. If you are reading this, it means I am watching you from heaven. Remember that no matter how dark the room gets, your father’s love is the strongest light in the world. Hold each other’s hands, and never forget who you are."
"Mama Bianca tried to burn it," Grace whispered softly, her little hand reaching out to touch the leather cover. "She threw it in the fireplace, but Chloe ran and pulled it out before the wood caught fire. We hid it so she wouldn't know."
Ethan pulled all four of them into his lap, burying his face in their soft hair, weeping openly for the first time in years.
"I'm so sorry," Ethan sobbed, kissing each of their foreheads. "Daddy was so stupid. I thought making money was how I protected you. I thought leaving you with nice things was enough. I failed you."
Ava reached up with her tiny hand, wiping a tear from his cheek. "You didn't fail us, Daddy. You came home. You stopped the dark."
"I am never leaving again," Ethan swore, holding them so tightly they could feel his heartbeat. "I am stepping down as CEO of Whitmore Systems tomorrow morning. I am selling the New York offices, selling this cold house, and we are moving to the farm in Vermont where your mother grew up."
May you like
Mia’s eyes widened with pure, innocent wonder. "The farm with the big red barn and the horses?"
"The very same," Ethan smiled through his tears. "Where you can run in the grass, eat hot pancakes every morning, and never, ever be cold again."
