Chapter 9 - The First Sunrise
The first rays of golden autumn sunlight broke over the eastern horizon, bathing the Moretti estate in a warm, brilliant glow that chased away every lingering shadow of the past.
Luca stood on the wide stone balcony outside his master bedroom. He wasn't sitting in the leather motorized chair that now sat unplugged and forgotten in the corner of the room. He stood unsupported, his fingers resting lightly on the cold stone balustrade, feeling the cool morning breeze sweep across his face.
Behind him, the balcony doors slid open softly.
Maria walked out carrying a tray with two steaming mugs of coffee and a plate of fresh pastries. She stopped for a moment, her eyes welling with tears as she looked at him standing tall against the morning sky.
"Coffee, Mr. Luca?" Maria asked gently, her voice cracking with emotion.
Luca turned around, taking a slow, deliberate step forward without the cane, testing his balance. His right leg trembled slightly, but he caught himself, planting his foot firmly on the stone. He smiled—a genuine, unburdened smile that he hadn't felt in half a decade.
"Thank you, Maria," Luca said, taking the mug from her hands. "Call me Luca. No more 'mister'."
Just then, the glass door pushed open further, and a small pair of arms wrapped tightly around his leg.
Luca looked down to see Sofia looking up at him, her hair messy from sleep, wearing her favorite pajamas. "Can we go outside today, daddy? Down to the garden?"
"We can go wherever you want, sweetie," Luca laughed softly, crouching down with a groan of stiff joints to scoop her up into his arms. He stood back up, holding his daughter high against his chest, feeling the solid, vibrant strength in his own spine.
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"Dr. Vance is downstairs," Maria noted, wiping her eyes with her apron. "He arrived on the early chopper from Boston."
"Send him up," Luca said, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the sun continued to climb into a clear, boundless sky. "Tell him the patient is ready to start walking."
