Chapter 15 - BENEATH THE OHIO SUN
One year after the shattered glass and the police sirens, I stood on the front porch of the Cedar Hollow house beneath a brilliant, cloudless Ohio sun. The porch flag snapped rhythmically in the crisp autumn wind. Sadie and Nolan were inside finishing their homework without a single camera or panic button casting a shadow over their afternoon.
Renata walked out onto the porch carrying two mugs of coffee, handing me one with a warm, affectionate smile. We stood side by side, looking out over the quiet suburban street where ordinary families lived ordinary lives. I took a slow sip of my coffee, feeling an immense sense of pride and peace, knowing that when tested by terror, I hadn't broken—I had stood my ground.
