Chapter 94 - The Winter Solstice Dinner
On the evening of the winter solstice—the longest, darkest night of the year—I hosted a quiet, intimate dinner party at my home overlooking the Hartwell State campus.
There were no formal seating charts, no petty monarch rules, and no stale expectations of boiled potatoes. The dining table was packed with the people who mattered most: Uncle Arthur, Donna, Curtis, and Dr. Everett Hail.
We shared a magnificent roasted meal, laughed over old campus memories, and toasted to the incredible milestones we had achieved together. There was no mention of Paul, Susan, or Megan; the toxic ghosts of my biological family didn't hold residency in this house.
As we sat by the crackling fireplace after dinner, Donna raised her wine glass and looked across the room at me.
May you like
"To Chloe," Donna smiled warmly, her eyes shining with affection. "The woman who cleaned the floor at dawn, wrote the textbook by dark, and built a table big enough for everyone."
"To foundational hands," Dr. Hail added, raising his glass with a proud grin. "May they always lead the way."
