Chapter 13 - Building on Rock
One year after the storm on Highway 17, the Carter family estate on St. Simons Island was filled with music, laughter, and the smell of roasted barbecue.
The Harrison mansion in Sweetwater Landing had long since been sold at federal foreclosure auction, the proceeds fully reimbursing every victim of Richard’s scams, with the remainder used to establish a state wildlife conservation reserve.
Ethan and I had purchased our own home—a charming four-bedroom craftsman house on three acres of land outside Savannah, entirely in our own names, funded by our combined honest salaries.
In the backyard of the Carter estate, little Noah—now nearly two years old and running everywhere on sturdy little legs—was chasing a golden retriever puppy across the green lawn.
Ethan was standing at the barbecue grill with Master Sergeant Miller, laughing as they flipped steaks, sharing stories about logistics operations at Fort Stewart. Ethan had earned the genuine respect of the soldiers on the base through his relentless work ethic and complete humility.
I stood on the wraparound veranda with my father, holding a glass of fresh lemonade, watching our family thrive in the golden coastal light.
"How are you feeling, Camila?" Dad asked softly, putting his arm around my shoulders.
"I'm happy, Dad," I replied, leaning my head against his chest. "Really, truly happy."
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"Ethan has done well," Dad noted, looking at my husband with an approving nod. "He stood in the storm and chose to become a man."
"He did," I smiled. "Because you showed him what a real man looks like."
