Chapter 14: Foundations of Glass
The snow began to fall lightly on the morning of their new beginning, dusting the pine trees outside their suburban home with a delicate layer of white. The past months had tested every fiber of their relationship, forging a bond that could no longer be shaken by intimidation, wealth, or familial expectation. They had packed up what little they needed from the estate months ago, choosing instead to remodel a modest, sunlit farmhouse on the outskirts of the county—a place with no grand staircases, no marble foyers, and no locked doors hiding family secrets.
The phone on the kitchen island rang just once, a quiet digital chime. Caleb glanced at the screen, seeing an unknown local number. He let it go to voicemail without a second thought. The era of answering to Helen Vance, of jumping when strings were pulled, was a chapter of their lives that had been permanently closed and sealed. The voicemail light blinked briefly before going dark, signaling that whoever was on the other end had accepted the silence.
Sarah walked into the kitchen, holding a mug of warm cider, her light purple dress replaced by a comfortable cream-colored sweater that hugged her changing shape. She looked out the kitchen window at the falling snow, smiling as a pair of red cardinals landed on the wooden fence post outside.
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“You never look back, do you?” she asked, leaning against his side as Caleb wrapped his strong arms around her waist, resting his hands gently over her stomach.
“There’s nothing back there worth seeing,” Caleb answered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her blonde hair. “Everything I ever wanted, everything that matters, is right here in this room.”
