Margaret sat back against the soft leather seat, tears welling in her eyes as she picked up Arthur’s pocket watch, holding it close to her heart.
Julian slid into the seat across from her, the heavy door closing with a solid, satisfying THUD that sealed out the noise of the suburban world outside.
The long black limousine pulled smoothly away from the curb, its tinted windows reflecting the warm golden light of the setting sun as it glided toward the highway leading to Greenwich.
Margaret looked out the window at the passing trees, feeling the quiet, smooth power of the car beneath her. The fear, the humiliation, and the loneliness of the last six months dissolved into the warm, fragrant air of the cabin.
She looked at her grandson sitting across from her—the boy she had protected, raised, and loved when the rest of the world had ignored him.
"Thank you, Julian," Margaret whispered softly.
Julian smiled, reaching across the cabin to take her hand in his. "You paid for my future, Grandma. It's my turn to pay for yours."