Chapter 6: Shadows of the Past
The next morning brought sunlight and the gentle sound of children laughing in the backyard. Leo and Lily were running across the grass, chasing a red ball Jax had brought out for them.
From the kitchen window, Clara watched them with a faint smile, but her eyes held a lingering melancholy. Jax poured two cups of coffee and handed one to her.
""I called Dr. Vance this morning,"" Jax said quietly. ""He was our family physician. He recommended a specialist in town who deals with memory recovery and trauma.""
Clara took a slow sip of coffee. ""What if the memories don't come back, Jax? What if the woman you loved is truly gone, and I'm just someone who looks like her?""
Jax turned to face her directly. ""I'm not looking for a ghost, Clara. I'm looking at the woman standing in front of me right now. You protected Leo, you survived five impossible years, and you brought yourself back to us. That’s who you are now, and that’s enough.""
A knock on the front door interrupted them. When Jax opened it, he found Arthur, an elderly man with silver hair and a warm, weather-worn face, standing on the porch holding a small suitcase.
""Arthur?"" Clara cried out from the kitchen, running to the door.
May you like
Arthur smiled gently, his eyes filled with grandfatherly warmth. ""Hello, Clara child. I brought the rest of your things from the cottage. I wanted to make sure you made it here safely.""
Arthur was the man who had rescued Clara from the riverbank five years ago and cared for her like a daughter when she had nowhere else to go.
