Chapter 19 - A Quiet Saturday
Saturday arrived with the bright, golden warmth of a perfect New England autumn weekend.
There were no board meetings, no emergency legal briefs, and no toxic family brunches to endure.
Lily and I spent the morning at the local farmers market, filling a canvas tote bag with fresh apples, artisanal bread, and a small pumpkin for our front porch step. Afterward, we walked down to the park, feeding ducks by the pond and laughing as crisp leaves crunched beneath our boots.
For the first time in my life, leisure didn't feel like a temporary reprieve between crises. It felt permanent. It felt earned.
When we returned to the Elm Street apartment, I unlocked the front door and stepped inside our cozy, sunlit living room.
Everything was in its place. Every bill was paid, every account was balanced, and every ghost of the past had been permanently audited out of my life.
I walked over to the small bookshelf in the corner, pulling out a heavy leather-bound journal where I used to scribble down financial notes and inventory audits during my early days at Bell & Rowe.
I opened to the very last blank page, picked up a pen, and wrote a single line across the top:
May you like
> Chapter One: The Foundation is Secure.
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