I carried the hot mug out to the wooden porch.

The sun dipped below the distant tree line, casting long, bright orange shadows across the valley floor.

A lone hawk circled above the nearest granite ridge.

Arthur and Helen were financially secure in their suburban house, with their stolen retirement fully restored.

Ranata was facing a messy divorce and total bankruptcy.

I had fixed the terrible financial rot in my family tree, and I had cut off the branch that caused it for good.

I took a slow sip of the coffee and tasted the warm cinnamon.

The evening wind moved heavily through the tops of the huge pine trees.

I sat down in the wooden rocking chair and watched the evening shadows stretch across land I owned outright.

The silence finally belonged to me.