Chapter 5 - A NEW DAWN IN THE EAST WING
The morning sun broke through the towering arched windows of the Morrison estate, burning away the last lingering clouds of the storm and flooding the east wing with brilliant golden light.
Sylvie woke up slowly.
For the first time in her memory, she didn't wake up shivering.
She opened her eyes to a ceiling painted with soft blue skies and white clouds. She was lying in a bed so soft she felt like she was floating. The sheets smelled of lavender and sunshine.
She sat up instantly, panic seizing her chest. Tommy?
"He's right here, sweetheart."
Sylvie turned her head.
Sitting in a plush armchair beside the bed was Russell. He was dressed in a comfortable gray lounge suit, holding a steaming mug of tea in one hand and a baby bottle in the other. Across the room, in a custom-built mahogany crib lined with organic cotton, Tommy was cooing happily, kicking his little legs in the air as a nurse adjusted his blanket.
Sylvie clutched the edge of the heavy duvet to her chin.
"Is this your house?" she asked, her voice small.
"It's our house now," Russell said gently, setting his tea down on the bedside table and leaning forward. "If you'll have me, that is. I had some doctors come in this morning to check on Tommy. He's a little undernourished, but the pediatrician says with good food and warm milk, he's going to grow up strong enough to be a football player."
Sylvie’s eyes welled up with tears—not tears of fear or hunger this time, but the terrifying, overwhelming relief of safety.
"My mom used to say angels lived in big houses," Sylvie whispered.
Russell let out a low, self-deprecating chuckle, shaking his head. "I am far from an angel, Sylvie. Before last night, I hadn't noticed anyone outside of my own reflection in years. You're the one who saved an old, stubborn man. That makes you the hero here."
A soft knock interrupted them. Marcus entered the room carrying a large, brightly colored cardboard box.
"Good morning, boss. Good morning, Sylvie," Marcus said with a crisp nod. "Delivery for the young lady."
He placed the box on the edge of the bed and opened it.
Inside lay a pair of shiny red leather shoes, a stack of soft colorful dresses, a box of colored pencils, and a giant stuffed golden retriever that was bigger than Sylvie herself.
Sylvie’s breath caught. She reached out with a hesitant finger and touched the shiny red leather of the shoes.
"Are these... for me?" she asked.
"Every single one," Russell smiled, his eyes shining. "And tomorrow, we go shopping for whatever else you want. But first, we have a very important mission."
"What mission?"
May you like
"Breakfast," Russell said, standing up and offering her his hand. "Pancakes with so much maple syrup the kitchen staff will probably scold us. What do you say?"
Sylvie looked from the shiny red shoes to Russell’s outstretched hand. For the first time in five years, she took a step forward without looking back at the dark.
