Chapter 10 - The Sunlit Table
On the morning of Emma’s sixth birthday, the kitchen of the small farmhouse was filled with the smell of cinnamon rolls and fresh-squeezed orange juice.
The wooden dining table was long, battered, and made of reclaimed pine, bought second-hand from an old carpenter down the road. It had no place settings, no designated seats, and no silent expectations of perfection.
Denise, who had remained a steadfast friend and unofficial godmother, sat at the far end, sipping coffee from a chipped ceramic mug while sketching funny faces on paper napkins. Emma sat right in the center, between two of her school friends, wearing a paper crown tilted slightly over one ear.
A large, steaming plate of pancakes rested right in front of her, surrounded by small bowls of strawberries, chocolate chips, and maple syrup.
Emma picked up a fork, looked around the table at the faces smiling back at her, and paused. For a brief second, her small hand hovered over the plate, the ancient reflex of caution flitting through her eyes like a shadow.
Rachel sat down beside her, leaning in close. She didn't offer a lecture or a solemn reminder. She simply reached out, took a strawberry from Emma’s plate, popped it into her own mouth, and smiled.
“Go ahead, birthday girl,” Rachel said softly. “It’s your table. All of it.”
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Emma’s face split into a wide, radiant smile that reached both sides of her face, lifting the pale silver scar into the sunlight streaming through the broad kitchen window.
She dug her fork into the golden stack, laughed out loud, and began to eat.
