On the drive home, Liam fell asleep and Maya watched the sunset for a long time.

Then she said, “I think next year I want to visit somewhere with a little cabin and a garden.”
“We’ll plan it together,” I told her.

She reached for my hand.

“That’s all I wanted in the first place.”

PART 24
A year after that New Year’s Eve, the financial case had moved through several hearings and negotiations.

Chloe accepted responsibility for specific misrepresented payments under a resolution advised by her counsel; Mark continued making restitution under his agreement.

Other disputed expenditures had been addressed through a combination of bank determinations and repayment arrangements.