Chapter 5 - THE FIRE AND THE FOUNDATIONTwo weeks later, the demolition crews finally arrived at the old Harbor Light building on 4nd Street.
I stood across the street, watching the steel wrecking ball swing back and forth, crashing into the brick facade where we had treated thousands of children over the past three years. Dust billowed into the cold December air, mixing with the gray sleet.
"It’s hard to watch," Sebastian said, stepping up beside me and handing me a cup of hot black coffee.
"It’s necessary," I replied, taking the cup and letting the warmth seep into my fingers. "Buildings are just brick and mortar, Sebastian. The real clinic was never the walls. It was the people inside them."
"Speaking of the people inside them," Sebastian said, nodding down the street.
A sleek black van pulled up to the curb. The side doors slid open, and Hazel hopped out, her cheeks flushed with health, laughing as she ran toward us. Right behind her walked Theo, wearing a brand-new, perfectly fitted wool coat—not cashmere, but a sturdy, warm parka—holding a sketchbook under his arm.
"Dr. Elena! Dad!" Hazel called out, running over and throwing her arms around my waist. "Did you see the new place? It’s huge! There’s an entire room just for art supplies!"
"I saw it, sweetie," I smiled, hugging her back.
Sebastian knelt down, looking at Theo. "Well, artist? How do you like the new studio?"
Theo looked up from his sketchbook, his eyes bright and clear, completely free of the terror and hunger that had haunted him under the Wacker Drive overpass. He held out a drawing for Sebastian to see.
It was a detailed, vibrant watercolor of a massive, shining glass building standing proudly against a bright blue sky, with a red cross painted on the roof and dozens of children playing in the courtyard outside.
"That’s Harbor Light," Theo said proudly. "The new one. With the big windows so the sun can get inside."
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Sebastian took the drawing, his expression softening in a way no boardroom or Wall Street investor would ever witness. He carefully folded it and placed it inside the inner pocket of his coat, right next to his heart.
"It’s the best building in Chicago, Theo," Sebastian said quietly. "I wouldn't change a single brick."
