Chapter 10 - BRINGING EVERYONE HOME
Six months later, the spring sun shone brightly over the lush green lawns of Portland's Forest Park. The air was warm, filled with the scent of pine needles and blooming cherry blossoms.
A long wooden table was set up near a small cedar cabin tucked away in the trees—a cabin that Mason had spent the winter restoring with his own hands.
Sienna sat at the table, reviewing news reports on her tablet. The scandal surrounding Vanguard Defense Solutions had led to congressional hearings, criminal indictments, and the complete dismantling of the illegal mercenary network. Mason's military record had been fully cleared, and his Silver Star was now displayed proudly in a glass case inside the cabin.
"Mom! Look!" a voice called out from the lawn.
Sienna looked up, her heart leaping into her throat with a joy that never faded.
Ava was walking across the uneven grass—not with crutches, not with a wheelchair, but on her own two legs. Her movement wasn't perfect; she walked with a slight limp, her posture careful and deliberate, but she was moving under her own power across the wild ground.
Beside her walked Mason, wearing his familiar gray canvas pants and a simple black t-shirt. He didn't hold her hands. He didn't hover over her like she was made of glass. He walked half a step behind her, offering his steady presence, a human anchor against the world.
Ava reached the wooden table, flushed and panting, her face illuminated by a wide, radiant smile.
"Ten yards," Ava declared proudly, leaning against the table for support. "Without stopping."
"Ten yards," Mason confirmed, coming up beside her and placing his broad hand gently on her head. "Not bad for a girl who used to hate the rain."
Sienna stood up, wrapping her arms around her daughter, pulling her close and kissing her hair. "I am so proud of you, Ava," Sienna whispered, her voice choked with happy tears.
Ava hugged her mother back, then turned to look at Mason. The nine-year-old girl who had spent three years trapped in a silent prison looked up at the soldier who had dragged her back into the light.
"Thank you, Mason," Ava said, her voice clear, resonant, and full of life.
Mason looked at Ava, then at Sienna, feeling a profound, quiet warmth spread through his chest—a feeling he hadn't experienced since he left the service. He had spent fourteen years bringing wounded soldiers back from the battlefield, but standing in the Oregon sunlight, surrounded by the people who had healed his shattered soul, Mason Ryder finally realized the truth.
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He had brought broken bodies home for years.
Now, at last, he was home too.
