Chapter 10 - The Promise of Tomorrow
Three Years LaterThe California sun beat down on the beautiful, sprawling campus of Stanford University.
Kayla stood on the steps of the grand library, a heavy backpack slung over one shoulder. Her golden hair had grown back, now styled in a chic, confident bob that framed a face that no longer held any traces of fear. She was a top pre-law student, dedicating her life to helping victims of domestic abuse navigate the legal system.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a video call from home.
She answered it, a bright smile breaking across her face. "Hey, guys!"
On the screen, the entire Adams family was gathered in the kitchen of our new home—a beautiful, modest house filled with light, purchased with the money from Arthur’s new job as a chief compliance officer for an ethical, transparent international firm.
"Kayla!" Reese’s face dominated the screen. She was eleven now, her eyes still bright with the same fierce intelligence. "Look what came in the mail today!"
She held up a beautiful, glossy certificate. Reese had just won first place in the state-wide youth journalism competition for an investigative piece she had written about transparency in local government.
"I knew you'd win it, Reesie," Kayla laughed, a tear of pure pride gathering in her eye. "You're still the best investigator I know."
Arthur and I leaned into the camera frame, our arms wrapped around each other, faces lined with the gentle, happy markers of a family that had survived the storm and found the shore.
"We're so proud of both of you," Arthur said, his voice thick with emotion. "We love you, Kayla."
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"I love you guys too," Kayla said, looking out over the beautiful campus, toward a future that was entirely, beautifully her own. "See you at Thanksgiving."
She hung up the phone, took a deep breath of the fresh ocean air, and walked down the steps into the bright, brilliant morning.
