Chapter 6 - A New Beginning in the Heart of Angers
With the house officially repossessed and legally cleared, Claire didn't move back into the old mansion right away. Instead, she decided that a fresh start required a fresh environment.
She placed the Rue de la Paix property on the market through a reputable commercial agency, using the capital to purchase a bright, modern apartment overlooking the tree-lined banks of the Maine River, just a short walk from the historic Château d'Angers.
The moving day was entirely different from the somber packing days of her mother's departure.
Inès skipped through the sunlit rooms of their new home, carrying a stack of colorful throw pillows and laughing as her golden retriever puppy—a welcome-home gift Claire had surprised her with—bounded across the gleaming hardwood floors.
"Mom, look! My bedroom window has a view of the castle!" Inès called out, leaning over the windowsill with a bright, genuine smile.
Claire smiled, stepping out onto the small balcony with a steaming mug of coffee. The morning air was crisp, but the sun was warm, cutting through the chill with the promise of spring. For the first time in years, there was no invisible knot of anxiety in her stomach. No phone call waiting to happen from a mother demanding perfection. No walking on eggshells.
Mrs. Lemoine, their former neighbor who had sheltered Inès that fateful rainy evening, walked across the courtyard below, waving up at them with a freshly baked apple tart. Claire waved back warmly, feeling a profound sense of gratitude for the community that had quietly rallied around them.
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The trauma of that freezing night had left its mark, but it hadn't broken them. It had forged an unbreakable bond between mother and daughter, proving that family isn't defined by bloodlines, old deeds, or grand facades—it is defined by safety, loyalty, and unconditional love.
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