Chapter 14 - Learning to Laugh in the Daylight
Six months later, summer had returned to Oregon.
The cold, sheeting rain that had haunted Pioneer Square was replaced by brilliant blue skies, golden sunshine, and the sweet scent of blooming lavender drifting from the West Hills garden.
In the backyard of the estate, the sprawling wooden treehouse had finally been completed. It was an architectural marvel—built with safety netting, polished cedar railings, and a small telescope mounted on the upper deck overlooking Mount Hood.
"Faster, Daddy! Faster!"
I stood behind the double rope swing suspended from a giant Douglas fir, pushing Joshua and Emma together. Joshua was holding his wooden pirate sword high in the air, yelling battle cries, while Emma threw her head back, her golden hair streaming in the warm breeze, laughing with a pure, unburdened joy that filled every corner of the property.
Mrs. Gable walked out onto the stone patio carrying a large pitcher of fresh lemonade and a tray of sugar cookies.
"Come get your refreshments, you scallywags!" she called out with a warm grin.
Joshua dropped from the swing with a thump, racing across the lawn. Emma hopped down neatly beside me, grabbing my hand and looking up with wide, sparkling eyes.
"Can we go to the beach tomorrow, Daddy?" she asked, swinging our joined hands back and forth. "Josh said the ocean has starfish that are bigger than pancakes!"
"We can go wherever you want, Emma," I smiled, kneeling down and brushing a piece of cedar bark from her sweater. "The whole coast is waiting for us."
She reached up, her small fingers lightly touching the lapel of my casual linen shirt. For the first time, she wasn't wearing an oversized sweater to hide inside; she was wearing a bright yellow sundress, and around her neck hung the platinum locket, gleaming warmly in the summer sun.
"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered.
"For what, sweetheart?"
"For looking for Josh that night," she said softly. "Because when you found him... you found me, too."
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My chest tightened with that deep, profound ache of love that only a father could ever know. I pulled her into my arms, lifting her onto my hip as we walked toward the patio.
"I will always find you, Emma," I promised. "No matter where you are."
