Chapter 10 - THE PROMISE KEPTThree years later.
The autumn sun was setting over the pine forest surrounding the small wooden cottage five miles off Route 17.
The air was crisp and scented with woodsmoke. On the wide wooden porch overlooking the green pasture, a handcrafted wooden swing swayed gently in the evening breeze.
Lena sat on the porch swing, wearing a cozy cream-colored knit sweater, holding a warm cup of chamomile tea. Beside her sat a tiny, wooden crib where their two-year-old daughter, Sofia, was sleeping peacefully wrapped in a yellow blanket.
Matteo walked out from the house, carrying a tray of fresh fruit and water.
He set the tray on the side table, walked over to the swing, and sat down beside Lena. He wrapped his broad arm around her shoulders, pulling her close against his side.
Lena rested her head against his chest, listening to the slow, steady beat of his heart.
“Jimmy called today,” Lena murmured, looking out at the golden sunset behind the pine trees. “He said Mrs. Patterson finally finished her Sunday crossword puzzle.”
Matteo chuckled softly, his fingers gently playing with a strand of her dark hair. “It only took her three years.”
“He asked when we were coming by for dinner,” Lena added, looking up into his dark eyes.
Matteo leaned down, pressing his lips gently against her forehead, then down to her lips in a long, sweet kiss that tasted of quiet happiness.
“We’ll go tomorrow night,” Matteo whispered against her cheek. “At 9:30. For black coffee.”
Lena held his hand tightly, looking out over the quiet pasture as the first stars began to bloom across the darkening sky.
The world outside was full of noise, ambition, and men fighting over fleeting empires. But here, on this quiet porch in the woods, surrounded by the people he loved, Matteo Marquez had kept his promise.
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The blood was gone. The shadows had vanished.
And the Waterfront Ghost was finally, truly, at home.
