I didn’t stop to answer their questions.

I walked down the steps and into the crisp winter air.

Liam was waiting for me at the bottom of the steps, his coat collar turned up against the wind.

“Is it done?” he asked.

“It’s done,” I said.

We walked together down the street, toward the river.

The water was dark and cold, reflecting the gray sky.

I looked at my hands, which were steady now, the tremor gone.

The empire that had cost so much was gone, and in its place, we were building something real.

I took a deep breath of the cold air, and for the first time in five years, I looked forward to tomorrow.