Chapter 29 - The Quiet MorningTwo years after our wedding, golden morning sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of our farmhouse master bedroom.
The room was warm, filled with the sweet fragrance of roasting coffee beans, fresh cinnamon rolls from the oven, and soft acoustic guitar music drifting up from the kitchen.
I sat in the wide cedar rocking chair beside the window, gently cradling our six-month-old baby girl, Maya. Maya had her mother’s bright hazel eyes and a soft tuft of dark hair, cooing happily as she clutched my thumb.
Lucas, now ten years old, and Chloe, now seven, tiptoed into the bedroom carrying a hand-drawn "Good Morning" card for their baby sister, beaming with protective pride.
"Can we hold her on the porch swing, Dad?" Lucas asked eagerly.
"In just a minute, big guy," I smiled warmly, kissing his forehead.
Elena walked out from the en-suite bathroom wearing a soft cream cashmere robe, wrapping her arms securely around my shoulders and resting her cheek gently against my temple.
She looked down at baby Maya, then smiled lovingly down at Lucas and Chloe.
"Look at our family, David," Elena whispered, kissing my lips.
May you like
"It's everything, El," I smiled, holding her hand against my chest.
I looked out through the glass at the golden apple orchard glowing under the morning sun, knowing that no storm could ever shake the foundation we had built together.
