The Yellow House
Chapter 16 - The Yellow House
The house was not impressive by Cole standards.
That was why Adrian loved it.
Three bedrooms.
A creaking porch.
A kitchen built thirty years earlier.
And yellow shutters.
Rachel walked through the backyard.
"You know the fence is falling down."
"I'll fix it."
"You?"
Adrian looked offended.
"I can fix a fence."
Rachel raised an eyebrow.
"You once paid someone to assemble a lamp."
"That lamp was complicated."
Eli laughed.
They bought the house.
Not as a symbol.
Not as proof of anything.
As a home.
Adrian learned to make breakfast.
Poorly.
Rachel returned to teaching.
Eli joined a soccer team.
Life became smaller.
And strangely richer.
One afternoon, Adrian received a letter from Charles.
He did not open it for three days.
Finally, he sat on the porch.
Adrian,
I spent my life believing protecting something meant controlling it.
I controlled you.
I controlled information.
I protected a company while destroying my family.
I don't ask forgiveness.
I only ask you not to become me.
Adrian folded the letter.
Rachel sat beside him.
"What did he say?"
"The truth."
"That's new."
Adrian laughed softly.
Rachel leaned against him.
"Are you going to write back?"
"Eventually."
She nodded.
Inside, Eli shouted.
"Dad! The sink is leaking!"
Adrian sighed.
Rachel smiled.
"Mr. Billionaire, your kingdom needs you."
"Former billionaire."
"Right."
Adrian stood.
"What exactly do I do with a leaking sink?"
Rachel laughed.
"You call a plumber."
"Finally. Something I'm qualified for."
It was ordinary.
Messy.
Real.
And Adrian had never been happier.
But one question still remained between him and Rachel.
They had rebuilt trust.
May you like
They had rebuilt a family.
Could they rebuild the love stolen from them eleven years earlier?
