Before we left, I walked to the edge of the yard and looked at the distant hills.

The sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow over the pine trees.

For ten years, I had lived with the constant fear of being found, of losing the children I had pulled from the fire.

Now, the fear was gone.

Nathan walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“Just how quiet it is,” I said.

“We have a lot of work to do at the office on Monday,” he said with a soft laugh.

“I know,” I said, turning to face him. “But today, we just go home.”

We drove back north as the stars began to appear in the clear night sky.

In the backseat, Lily was already asleep, her head resting on Johnny’s shoulder.

Paul was looking out the window, a peaceful expression on his face.

We arrived at the Greenwich estate late that night.

The massive iron gates opened for us, but they no longer felt like a prison.

They felt like a shield.