Chapter 7: The Road North**
The following weekend, Julian packed a single suitcase and loaded Mia into his car. They drove north, leaving the glass skyscrapers behind in favor of winding coastal roads framed by pine trees and gray ocean fog.
"Where are we going?" Mia asked from the back seat, holding her small sketchpad.
"To see where you grew up," Julian said. "And to pay my respects."
The drive lasted seven hours. As the landscape shifted from suburban wealth to working-class coastal towns, Julian felt the artificial layers of his former life peeling away. He saw the rugged beauty Elena had loved—the rocky cliffs, the salt-crusted docks, and the unpretentious dignity of people who worked with their hands.
When they arrived at the modest cemetery overlooking the bay, the wind carried the scent of rain and cedar. Julian stood before the simple granite marker bearing Elena's name.
Mia knelt and placed a small yellow wildflower against the stone. "I brought him, Mama," she whispered.
May you like
Julian knelt beside her, resting his hand on the damp earth. "I'm sorry it took me so long," he said silently into the wind. "I will protect her with everything I have left."
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