Chapter 10 - Where We Truly Belong
That evening, the golden light of the setting sun poured into the dining room of the country house, casting a warm, amber glow across the table.
I cooked a grand feast to celebrate the weekend: roasted herb chicken, buttery mashed potatoes, fresh steamed vegetables, homemade garlic bread, and a rich chocolate cake for dessert.
Dustin helped me set the table, carefully placing matching cloth napkins and silverware at each seat.
We sat down together at the head of the table. Dustin looked over the feast with wide, happy eyes, inhaling the delicious aroma of the warm food.
"Mom," Dustin said, pulling a hot, crispy chicken leg onto his plate and adding a huge scoop of fluffy mashed potatoes with plenty of butter. "This is the best food in the whole world."
I smiled, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand gently. "Only the best for the master of this house."
Dustin giggled, taking a big, satisfying bite.
I looked around our home. The walls were filled with laughter and warmth, the air was clear, and my heart was entirely at peace. The toxicity that once threatened to invade our lives had been completely purged. We had survived the cruelty of those who sought to tear us down, and we had built an unbreakable fortress of love in its place.
Dustin looked up at me, his face bright with a pure, radiant smile. "Mom?"
"Yes, my sweet boy?"
"I know where I belong now," he said proudly, pointing his fork toward his chest.
"Where do you belong, Dustin?" I asked, my heart swelling with immense pride and joy.
"Right here," Dustin replied softly, looking around the bright, warm room before locking his eyes with mine. "With you. At this table."
May you like
"That's right, sweetheart," I said, raising my glass of fresh juice to touch his. "At this table, you will always have a seat, you will always have a feast, and you will always be loved."
Outside, the stars began to twinkle in the clear night sky above the countryside, surrounding our home in a quiet, everlasting peace.
