“None at all,” I said, watching the dust settle over the rubble.

“It was a prison for both of us.”

“The construction on the new center starts next week,” Charles said.

“Your father has agreed to oversee the project as an honorary consultant.”

“It will give him a reason to get out of the house,” I smiled.

My father was standing a few yards away, talking to a group of former workers who had gathered to watch the demolition.

He was holding a cup of hot coffee, his laughter sounding clear and bright against the cold morning.

The city was still freezing, the grey clouds heavy with the promise of more snow.

But the atmosphere in our neighborhood had shifted.

The heavy, oppressive silence that had hung over the streets for ten years was gone.

People walked with their heads held high, no longer afraid of the shadow of the Bellamy Group.

“We did it, Emily,” Charles said quietly.

“We did,” I agreed, looking at the empty lot where the restaurant had stood.

The frozen secret of Crystal Oak was finally gone, buried under the rubble of the past.

We walked over to join my father and the others, our boots crunching loudly on the fresh ice.

The winter sun broke through the clouds, casting a bright, clear light over the city.

For the first time in my life, I looked forward to tomorrow.