Chapter 15: Where the Stars Belong**
On a warm summer evening, the valley was cool beneath a canopy of endless, crystal-clear skies. Thousands of brilliant stars sparkled across the dark blue expanse, completely free of smoke and city haze.
Julian, Clara, and Rory walked up to the crest of the hill behind the house, laying out a large quilt across the tall grass. A soft mountain breeze rustled the pine needles around them.
Rory lay on her back between Julian and her mother, pointing her small finger up into the vast universe.
"One, two, three, four..." she counted aloud, her voice pure and musical.
"How many are there, Rory?" Clara asked softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her daughter's forehead.
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"Too many to count," Rory whispered happily, resting her head on Clara’s shoulder while her small hand reached over and held Julian’s fingers. "And nobody has to be hungry to see them anymore."
Julian looked up into the infinite quiet of the night, feeling the steady, rhythmic beat of a peaceful heart in his chest. The debt had been paid. The darkness had retreated. And beneath a sky full of silent, beautiful stars, a broken family was finally whole.
