Chapter 10 - The New Beginning
Six months later,
New York City felt like home.
The Sterling Grace headquarters was a towering glass spire overlooking Central Park.
I sat in my office,
watching the snow fall over the city.
The world was busy,
loud,
and full of life.
Everything was different now.
I was no longer the woman in the simple coat,
waiting in the lobby.
I was the woman who owned the lobby.
I was a leader,
a mother,
and most importantly,
a Sterling.
My brothers were still there,
of course,
but they didn't hold the ladder anymore.
They walked beside me.
Dominic was a distant memory,
a name that occasionally appeared in old legal documents.
I heard he was working at a car wash in some small town in the Midwest.
It was a fitting end for a man who was so concerned with appearances.
I picked up my phone and called Sophia’s nanny.
"Is she ready?"
I asked.
"Yes,
ma'am,"
the voice replied.
"She’s waiting in the lobby."
I stood up and grabbed my coat,
a beautiful,
tailored piece of charcoal wool.
It wasn't a discount rack item,
but it wasn't a costume either.
It was mine.
I walked down to the lobby,
where Sophia was waiting.
She was seven now,
and she looked more like a Sterling every day.
"Ready for your surprise,
Mommy?"
she asked,
holding her hands behind her back.
"I’m ready,"
I said,
kneeling down.
She pulled out a new necklace.
It wasn't made of paper this time.
It was made of beads she had strung together herself,
bright and colorful.
"It’s for your new office,"
she said.
I put the necklace on,
feeling the weight of the plastic beads against my chest.
"It’s beautiful,
Sophia,"
I said,
tears of joy in my eyes.
"It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen."
We walked out into the crisp New York air,
hand in hand.
The city was waiting for us,
full of possibilities and truth.
The Sterling storm had passed,
and the sky was finally clear.
I was Vivienne Sterling.
I was a mother.
I was a sister.
And I was finally,
truly,
May you like
myself.
The end.
