Chapter 7 - A New Dawn in the Garden
The morning sun rose over Long Island, casting a warm, golden glow across the manicured lawns and stone pathways of the Moretti estate.
Inside the grand kitchen, the sweet smell of freshly baked pancakes and warm maple syrup filled the air. Ellie sat at the massive oak dining table, her legs swinging freely as she happily dug into a stack of pancakes smothered in strawberries, wearing a bright yellow dress that Hannah had bought with her new advance.
Hannah stood nearby, pouring fresh coffee into a porcelain cup, still occasionally pinching herself to make sure this wasn’t an elaborate dream.
The heavy double doors opened, and Adrian walked into the room. He wore a crisp white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, looking less like a feared mafia syndicate boss and more like an ordinary man ready for a peaceful weekend morning.
Ellie looked up, her gray-blue eyes lighting up with excitement.
“Adrian!” she called out, using his first name just as he had instructed her. “You promised we were going to plant flowers in the garden today!”
Adrian walked over, a genuine, warm smile breaking across his face—a sight that the estate staff would never have believed possible just a week ago.
“I never break a promise, Ellie,” Adrian said, pulling out the chair next to her and sitting down. He looked up at Hannah, who was smiling softly. “Good morning, Hannah. Did you sleep well?”
“Better than I have in years, Mr. Moretti—I mean, Adrian,” Hannah corrected herself with a gentle laugh.
“Good. Because after we plant the flowers in the garden, I have a surprise for both of you.”
An hour later, the three of them stood in the estate’s sprawling greenhouse. Sunlight streamed through the glass ceiling, warming the damp, rich earth. Ellie knelt on a small wooden stool, carefully pressing tulip bulbs into the dark soil with her tiny hands, while Rosie the stuffed rabbit sat safely perched on a nearby shelf watching over her work.
Adrian knelt beside her, showing her how to cover the roots gently.
“There,” Adrian said softly. “In the spring, these will bloom red and yellow. They’ll come back every single year, no matter how cold the winter gets.”
Ellie looked up at him, her small face serious. “Will they be safe from the bad weather?”
May you like
“I’ll make sure nothing ever harms them,” Adrian promised, his hand gently resting on her dark curls.
Hannah watched them from the doorway, her heart swelling with an emotion she hadn’t allowed herself to feel since David died. It was hope. It was a sense of belonging she thought she would never find again.
