Chapter 167

A blanket of snow covered the quiet mountain forest, with Edward Clarke and Clara Collins smiling gently from their gravestone. William brushed the snow off the stone with his own hands, set down a bunch of white chrysanthemums, and knelt on one knee. “Dad, Mom,” he said softly, “the one who hurt you is finally behind bars. I know it's been too long... I'm sorry it took so long to make things right.” Elsie stood beside him in a long white puffer coat, a suede hat pulled low, her nose tinged pink from the icy wind. Looking at the photo, where their faces hadn’t aged a day in twenty years, she found herself finally able to remember them without that familiar surge of pain. “Mom, Dad... I’m going to have a baby,” she whispered, bending forward to touch the photo gently. Her heart swelled with warmth. “Soon, I’ll be a mom too.” The little girl they once fought to protect was about to become a mother herself. She’d get to pass down all their love, teach her child how to love, and how to be