Chapter 16 - THE WHISPER OF PEACE
That evening,
I returned to the penthouse later than usual.
The city lights shimmered across the surface of Lake Michigan like diamonds scattered on black velvet.
I slipped off my shoes at the entryway,
expecting the apartment to be dark and quiet.
Instead,
soft piano music drifted down the hallway from the living room.
I walked quietly toward the sound.
Alina was sitting at the grand piano by the floor-to-ceiling windows,
playing a gentle,
melancholy melody.
Sophia was curled up asleep on the velvet sofa nearby,
hugging her favorite golden retriever plush toy.
Alina stopped playing as she saw my reflection in the polished black wood of the piano.
You're back late,
she said softly,
turning around on the piano bench.
Had some loose ends to tie up,
I replied,
walking over and resting my hands on her shoulders.
Dangerous ones?
Never again.
Alina stood up,
wrapped her arms around my neck,
and pressed her face against my chest.
I can feel it,
you know,
she murmured.
Feel what?
The tension.
For six years,
I felt like you were waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Tonight,
for the first time,
your shoulders aren't tense.
I smiled,
burying my face in her chestnut hair and breathing in the sweet scent of lavender and rain.
Because the war is over,
Alina.
There are no more enemies left to fight.
She pulled back,
looking up into my eyes with a radiant smile.
Then let's focus on what matters.
What's that?
Living.
I kissed her deeply,
tasting the promise of all the tomorrow's we had fought so hard to reclaim.
Outside,
the wind whispered through the steel canyons of Chicago,
May you like
but inside,
our home was a sanctuary of warmth and light.
