Chapter 9 - SUNRISE IN SINGAPORE
Six months later.
The humidity of Singapore was a warm, welcoming blanket compared to the cold rain of Seattle. I stood on the balcony of my new, sun-drenched apartment, looking out at the lush green canopy of the city.
Inside, the sounds of morning cartoons echoed from the living room.
I walked back inside, carrying a plate of pancakes. Sitting at the kitchen island, his legs swinging, was Leo. He had Ryan's dark hair, but thankfully, none of his spirit. Leo was quiet, observant, and incredibly kind. The first month had been hard—he was terrified I was going to send him away. But slowly, the walls had come down.
"Are you ready for your first day at the new school?" I asked, setting the plate in front of him.
Leo poured an ungodly amount of syrup on his pancakes and looked up at me. "Are you going to be the principal of my building?"
"I'm the principal of the whole elementary school," I smiled, ruffling his hair. "Which means you can't get away with anything. But it also means my office is always open if you need me."
He grinned, a genuine, bright smile that reached his eyes. "Okay, Mom."
He had started calling me that a week ago. Every time he said it, it healed a tiny fracture in my heart that I thought would be broken forever.
My phone vibrated on the counter. It was a text from Angela.
Just left the courthouse. Ryan's sentencing came down. 7 years. Madison got 5. The house sold, and your half of the equity cleared into your account. You're officially free.
I read the text twice. Ten years of marriage, dissolved into a bank transfer and a prison sentence. Ryan had tried to break me. He had tried to humiliate me in front of the world to protect his own ego and his crimes.
Instead, he handed me the keys to my freedom, and gave me the child I had prayed for my entire adult life.
"Hey," Leo said, pulling me out of my thoughts. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a folded piece of construction paper. "I drew this for your new office."
I took the paper and opened it.
It was a crayon drawing of the two of us, standing under a bright yellow sun, surrounded by palm trees. At the top, in uneven, careful handwriting, he had written: My Family.
May you like
I touched the sapphire necklace at my throat, then pulled Leo into a tight hug. He hugged me back, small arms wrapping securely around my neck. He was safe. He was loved. And he finally belonged.
"It's perfect, Leo," I whispered, holding my son. "It's absolutely perfect."
