Chapter 10 - Clear Reflections
Six months later, the early morning Texas sky was painted in brilliant strokes of lavender and gold. At 5:40 on a warm Tuesday morning, Sixth Street was quiet, save for the pleasant hum of the waking city.
A brand-new white commercial van stood parked at the curb, its side panels neatly lettered in gold leaf: Cantrell & Strickland Architectural Glass Care. Inside the vehicle, specialized industrial polishers, safety harnesses, and professional filtration tanks sat in immaculate order.
Jolie stepped out of the driver's side, holding a clean squeegee with a brand-new rubber blade. She wore durable work pants and a fitted polo shirt bearing her company logo. She looked at the curved glass of the Strickland Hat Company, marveling at how the morning light danced across the pristine surface.
The front door of the shop clicked open. Cullen walked out, carrying two porcelain mugs of fresh coffee, barefoot in comfortable linen trousers and an open-collar shirt. He had spent the night upstairs in the newly renovated loft apartment above the showroom—the apartment where Jolie and Posie now lived with him.
"You're working on our anniversary morning?" Cullen teased, handing her a mug and wrapping his free arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest.
"A good contractor never neglects her flagship account," Jolie smiled, resting her head against his shoulder as the aroma of dark roast coffee mingled with the fresh morning air. "Besides, I like the view out here."
"So do I," Cullen murmured, kissing the crown of her head.
The front door opened again, and eight-year-old Posie skipped out onto the sidewalk, fully dressed in her school clothes and wearing her beloved miniature hat. She carried a bright yellow microfiber cloth in her hand.
She marched directly over to the bottom corner of pane three, dropped to her knees, and gave the lower glass a thorough, theatrical wipe.
She stood up, inspected her work with a critical squint just like her mother’s, and turned around with a radiant, gap-toothed smile.
"Just one more spot, Mommy, and we're all done!" Posie announced proudly.
May you like
Cullen threw his head back and laughed—a rich, deep, joyful sound that echoed down the historic brick street, washing away every ghost of his father’s bitter past. He reached down, scooped Posie up into his arms, and pulled Jolie close with the other.
"No more spots, Posie," Cullen said, looking through the crystal-clear glass into a future bright, beautiful, and completely unblemished. "From now on, everything is perfectly clear."
