Chapter 40 Blueprints And Vows

• Emma stood in the center of the empty lot that would soon become the new Haven. The morning sun cast long shadows over the fresh foundation stakes, and the scent of raw earth hung in the air—rich, promising. She held the ceremonial gold shovel loosely in her hands, her breath catching in her throat as reporters gathered just outside the marked boundary. Lucas stood beside her, his hand brushing against hers in silent solidarity.
• “This land used to be nothing but weeds and old glass,” she said softly, nodding to herself more than to the crowd. “Now it’s a second chance.”
• The words echoed with more meaning than the audience could guess. Behind Emma’s carefully composed expression was a memory of the nights she’d dreamed about this moment—and the nights she’d feared it would never come.