Chapter 10 - The Horizon
The crisp autumn night air was cool against my skin as I stood at the balcony railing, looking out over the glowing lights of Portland stretching across the river toward the dark silhouette of the Cascade Mountains.
Julian stepped out onto the balcony, holding two glasses of sparkling apple cider.
"Great speech, El," he said, handing me a glass. "Grandpa would have been proud."
"He would have complained about the price of the catering," I laughed softly, taking a sip of the sweet, crisp cider.
"True," Julian chuckled, leaning against the stone balustrade beside me. "By the way... I got an update from the federal clerk's office this afternoon. Graham’s sentencing was finalized."
I looked out at the distant mountain ridges where the storm had nearly claimed my life twelve months ago.
"How long?" I asked quietly.
"Fourteen years," Julian revealed. "No parole. He’s being transferred to a medium-security facility in Idaho on Monday."
I took a slow, deep breath of the cool mountain air, feeling the steady, rhythmic beat of my heart, the warm flow of blood through my veins, and the firm, unyielding strength of the earth beneath my feet.
There was no lingering bitterness in my soul. No fear. No regret.
Graham Hartwell had thought he was cutting my tag on a cold runway to give his mistress a seat. He thought he was leaving me in the dark to fade away.
He didn't realize that by cutting that thin plastic strip, he hadn't stripped away my future.
He had simply cut the last thread binding me to a man who was never worthy of standing beside me.
I turned back toward the warm, bright lights of the ballroom, where my family, my team, and my new life were waiting for me.
May you like
My leg was strong. My pulse was steady.
And for the very first time in my life, the sky ahead was completely, beautifully clear.
