Chapter 24 - The Return to Woodstock
Late that evening, the private car brought Clare back across the Vermont state line, winding through the quiet, tree-lined roads of Woodstock. The digital clock on the dashboard read past midnight, but a warm, welcoming light still glowed from the front porch of the historic manor. As she stepped out of the car, the cool mountain air filled her lungs, washing away the frantic, chaotic energy of the city. Walking up the wooden steps, she found Eleanor sitting by the fireplace with a warm blanket across her knees, reading a novel while keeping watch. "How did it go in the concrete jungle, my dear?" Eleanor asked, looking up over her reading glasses with a fond smile. "It went well," Clare smiled, walking over to kiss the older woman's cheek. "The students had brilliant questions. But I've never been more relieved to come home." She tiptoed quietly into Noah's bedroom, peeking down at her six-year-old son, who was sound asleep, clutching a small wooden toy truck in one hand, completely safe and blissfully unaware of the world's complexities. Clare brushed a soft lock of hair from his forehead, whispering a silent vow to always protect the sanctuary they had built together.
