Chapter 6 - The Sun in the Room
One year later, the cold October rain had returned to the Narragansett Bay, but inside the small, beautiful house in East Greenwich, the air was warm with the sound of laughter and the smell of cinnamon and baked apples.
The spare room at the end of the hall was flooded with a soft, ambient light that reflected off the pale yellow walls. In the corner sat a white wooden crib, its blankets embroidered with small, silver ships and bright green dragons.
Hannah stood in the doorway, a beautiful, radiant smile crossing her face as she looked inside. She wore a simple cream-colored sweater, her hair grown back out into long, elegant waves that framed a face that looked five years younger than the night of the engagement party.
Inside the room, Daniel Carver was sitting on a low wooden stool, his expensive suit trousers rolled up at the ankles, his jacket tossed over the back of a rocking chair. He was holding a small, eleven-month-old baby girl with bright blue eyes and a tuft of dark brown hair. The baby was clutching Daniel’s large silver pocket watch, laughing hysterically as she tried to shove the ticking metal into her mouth.
"No, Lily," Daniel chuckled, gently pulling the watch back from her tiny fingers. "That's not for eating. That's for telling your uncle Caleb when it's time to bring you more toys from the harbor."
"She looks just like him, Daniel," Hannah said softly, stepping into the room and leaning her head against his broad shoulder. "She has Aaron’s smile. The way her eyes crinkle at the corners when she laughs."
"She has his strength too," Daniel said, looking up at her with a gaze that held nothing but absolute, unyielding devotion. "She’s a Brooks. She’s going to own this town one day, and she won't need a single gun to do it."
The front door bell rang downstairs, followed by the booming, excited shout of eight-year-old Ben as he ran through the foyer carrying a basket of fresh apples from Martin’s garden.
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Daniel stood up, carefully transferring the sleeping baby into Hannah’s arms, his hand resting over both of theirs for one long, peaceful second. The shadows of Providence were still out there, beyond the cliffs and the docks, but inside this room, under the bright yellow paint and the quiet, steady warmth of a family reborn, the world was completely clean.
"Let’s go welcome our guests, Hannah," Daniel smiled, reaching for his jacket. "The sun is up, and we have a long day ahead of us."
