Chapter 8 - The Memorial at Sunrise
The morning sun rose over the city, casting golden rays across the grand glass facade of the Grand Regent Hotel. The stormy skies of the previous evening had cleared, leaving behind a crisp, brilliant autumn morning.
Ethan, Lily, and Lupita walked out of the hotel lobby together, carrying a fresh bouquet of uncrushed red roses.
Lily held her father’s hand tightly, looking up at him with bright, curious eyes. “Daddy, are we going to see Mommy’s special place today?”
“Yes, sweetheart,” Ethan smiled warmly, kneeling down to tie her shoelace. “We’re going to visit the garden she loved so much.”
They drove to the serene memorial park on the outskirts of the city, where Sarah’s polished granite headstone stood beneath the shade of a weeping willow tree. The air was cool and filled with the scent of fresh grass and damp earth.
As they approached the headstone, Lily ran ahead and placed the vibrant red roses neatly against the stone, right beneath Sarah’s smiling portrait etched into the granite.
Ethan knelt beside his daughter, placing his hand gently on the cold stone.
“We found her, Sarah,” Ethan whispered, his voice steady and filled with peace. “Lupita helped us. The company is clean, justice has been served, and Lily and I are going to be okay. We love you.”
Lupita stood a respectful distance away, bowing her head in silent prayer, holding a single white rose she had brought to honor the woman who had changed her life.
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When Lily turned around, she looked up at Ethan with a smile that mirrored her mother’s. “Daddy, I think Mommy is happy now.”
“I know she is, Lily,” Ethan replied, pulling both his daughter and Lupita into a warm, protective embrace as the morning wind rustled the leaves above them. “I know she is.”
