The children were awake.

They were sitting at the large oak table in the dining room.

Mrs. Gable had set two plates of warm pancakes in front of them.

Lily was holding her fork, staring at a plate of pancakes.

Owen was leaning against her, his thumb in his mouth, his other hand holding the stuffed bear.

I walked in and sat down at the head of the table.

“Good morning,” I said.

Lily looked up. “Did you stop the bad men?”

“Yes,” I said. “They are gone. They are never coming back.”

Owen took his thumb out of his mouth.

“Really?” he asked.

“Really,” I said. “I promise you.”

He looked at his sister, then back at me.

“Can we play outside?” Lily asked.

“The grass is wet,” I said. “But we can go to the barn. We have some horses.”

Owen’s eyes went wide. “Horses?”

“Yes,” I said. “Two small ones. Just your size.”

For the first time, Owen smiled.

It was a tiny, tentative thing, but it was there.

I looked at the two of them.

The house was no longer just a place to hide from the world.

It was a home.

“Finish your breakfast,” I said. “Then we will go see the horses.”

Lily nodded and took a bite of her pancake.

I stood up and walked to the window.

The sun was bright now, shining off the wet pine needles.

The quiet vengeance was over.

The protection had begun.