Chapter 122: the Past

Although years of unrelenting effort had yielded results, the battle remained far from won. He was certain Marie would agree. When John arrived at their little home, he saw Marie in the kitchen and their son Lucas curled up with a science textbook across the table. There was a glimmer of solace when he saw his family, a ray of normality among the nonstop onslaught of environmental news. "Good morning," John said, trying to grin. Marie observed his tense demeanour and glanced up, her brow pinched with anxiety. "What's wrong?" she inquired, fear evident in her tone. With a sigh, he took out his phone to show her the news story. A tacit acceptance of the setback passed between them as Marie's face paled as she read the specifics of the oil spill. Marie said, "This is terrible," her eyes lighting up with that familiar rebellious glitter. "Another reminder of the powerful forces we're up against." Sensing the change in atmosphere, Lucas raised his gaze from his book. His innocent lit