Chapter 12: The Feast of Greenbrier
To celebrate their victory, they did not hold an extravagant dinner at an upscale city club.
Instead, on a crisp Sunday afternoon, they hosted an open-air community feast in the apple orchards of Greenbrier.
Long wooden tables were arranged beneath the heavy boughs of the apple trees, covered with simple linen cloths and loaded with roasted chicken, fresh sourdough bread, sweet corn, and homemade blackberry cobbler.
Neighbors from the valley, Clara’s music students, and the local craftsmen who had worked on Liam’s glass projects gathered together in laughter and song.
A local folk band played acoustic reels near the stone cider press.
Liam sat at the head of the long table, watching Maya show a group of younger children how to play simple rhythms on the wooden thumb piano. She was laughing—a bright, unrestrained sound that rang like silver bells through the orchard.
Clara walked over, setting a plate of warm cobbler in front of him.
""You look like a man who has finally put down a very heavy stone, Liam,"" Clara smiled, sitting on the bench beside him.
""I didn't put it down alone, Clara,"" Liam said softly, looking at her with an intensity that made the surrounding noise of the festival fade into nothingness. ""You taught me that carrying a stone is a choice, and that the only way to build a home is to clear the ground first.""
May you like
He reached across the rustic table, taking her hand. His fingers intertwined with hers naturally, their warmth fusing in the crisp autumn air.
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