Chapter 14: The Blossom Festival
On Noah’s eighth birthday, the Hudson Valley orchard was in full, magnificent white-and-pink bloom.
The annual Blossom Festival brought hundreds of families from across the county to the Vance farm.
Children ran through the fragrant petals drifting like snow in the warm spring breeze, while local folk musicians played fiddles and banjos on the barn deck.
Noah wore his favorite green shirt, running through the trees with Barnaby at his heels, laughing with his classmates from the local public elementary school.
Julian and Helena stood at the edge of the stone terrace, watching the joy unfold.
Julian looked down at his watch—a simple leather timepiece that had belonged to his father—and then across the orchard at Clara, who was showing a group of young mothers how to graft apple saplings.
""Do you remember the morning in the hallway, Helena?"" Julian asked softly.
""I remember every second,"" Helena replied, leaning into his side. ""The cold floor, the fear, the locked door.""
""That door had to break so we could finally walk out,"" Julian said, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.
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""And we never have to look back,"" Helena smiled, resting her head against his shoulder.
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