Chapter 6 - The Weight of a Decade
The afternoon sun broke through the heavy rain clouds, casting long, golden shafts of light across the quiet gardens of St. Jude’s Memorial Hospital.
Ethan sat on a wooden bench beneath an old oak tree, his suit jacket off, his tie loosened around his collar. In his lap was a worn, tan envelope—the same one Lucy had clutched to her chest in the middle of the chapel just twenty-four hours ago.
Footsteps crunched softly on the gravel path beside him.
He looked up. Lucy stood there, wearing a fresh pink sweater the hospital volunteers had given her, holding a paper cup of apple juice. Her brown hair, now dry and brushed, fell neatly around her shoulders.
“Can I sit here?” she asked quietly.
Ethan’s throat tightened, but he managed a small, broken smile. He patted the empty space on the bench beside him. “Of course, bug. Come here.”
Lucy climbed up, sitting carefully beside him. She looked out across the manicured lawn toward the pediatric wing windows.
“How is she?” Ethan asked, his voice cracking slightly.
“Mom is sleeping,” Lucy said, taking a small sip of her juice. “The doctor said her breathing is a little easier today because the new medicine is working. But... she’s still very tired.”
Ethan nodded slowly, staring down at the envelope in his lap. He pulled out the first check—the one dated nine years, eleven months ago. He traced the green ink with his thumb.
“Lucy,” Ethan said softly, turning to look at his daughter. “I am so sorry I wasn't there. I’m sorry I didn't look harder, that I believed them, that I missed every birthday, every first day of school, every moment you and your mom had to fight alone.”
Lucy looked at him, her big brown eyes reflecting the sunlight. She didn't pull away when Ethan reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close against his chest.
“Mom said you didn't know,” Lucy murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder. “She said Victoria was like a shadow that blocked out the sun. You couldn't see anything behind it.”
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“Well,” Ethan whispered, pressing a kiss into her soft hair as a fresh tear slipped down his cheek. “The shadow is gone now, bug. And I’m going to spend every single day of the rest of my life making sure the sun never sets on us again.”
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