Chapter 14 - An Unwritten Agreement
By autumn, the city was carpeted in golden leaves. Toby was running again—a slightly clumsy, joyful sprint that sent him tumbling onto the manicured grass of Millennium Park.
Marcus sat on a park bench beside Elena, his arm draped comfortably over her shoulders. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out, saw the caller ID—an investment banker from New York—and immediately pressed the decline button, slipping the device back into his coat.
"You didn't want to take that?" Elena teased gently, resting her head against his collarbone.
"The markets will survive another twenty minutes," Marcus replied, watching Toby chase a squirrel near an oak tree. "This squirrel, however, is on borrowed time."
Elena laughed, a light, melodic sound that Marcus hadn't heard enough during the previous five years.
"You've changed, Marcus," she murmured softly. "You're really here with us."
"I almost wasn't," he said quietly, kissing the crown of her head. "I spent so many years thinking I was protecting our family from the world, when all I was really doing was protecting myself from being hurt. Being present is messy, and it's terrifying, but it's the only way to live."
Across the lawn, Toby tripped, caught his balance on his strong right leg, and waved vigorously at them.
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"Mom! Dad! Look! I didn't fall!" he shouted across the grass.
Marcus stood up and cupped his hands around his mouth. "I saw you, buddy! Fantastic balance!"
