Chapter 13
The equestrian club closed for six weeks.
Not forever.
I refused to let Marcus turn horses, boots, helmets, and stables into permanent symbols of fear for Lily.
We stripped every surveillance system.
Every receiver.
Every unofficial security channel.
Anything legitimate was rebuilt openly.
Rafe complained.
“People will know where the trackers are.”
“Yes.”
“That reduces covert value.”
“Exactly.”
He stared.
I continued.
“If safety requires deceiving the person being protected, we need a better design.”
Especially children.
Leo helped inspect the youth equipment room.
He found nothing else.
Then he stopped.
One helmet belonged to Adrian.
Old.
Cracked from age, not the accident.
Leo picked it up.
“You want this?”
I asked.
He shook his head.
That surprised me.
“Dad hated this helmet.”
I laughed.
“How do you know?”
“He said it made his head look like a mushroom.”
Of course.
Leo smiled.
Then placed it back.
Memory without shrine.
Good.
Lily refused riding boots completely.
At first.
Emma said do not force it.
So we didn’t.
Sneakers at the stable.
Rubber shoes.
Barely near the ponies.
Whatever she chose.
One morning she saw another child splashing through mud in bright red boots.
Lily watched.
Then asked:
“Mine can be red?”
“Yes.”
“No special inside?”
My chest tightened.
“No.”
“Can I take off?”
“Whenever you want.”
That mattered.
We bought red boots.
Cheap ones.
Nothing custom.
The first thing Lily did was pull one off in the store.
Then put it back on.
Then off again.
Testing.
Control returned through repetition.
Leo sat beside her laughing.
“You’re weird.”
She kicked him lightly with the boot.
Normal.
May you like
Beautifully normal.
I bought them immediately.
