I had spent my entire professional life calculating the monetary value of corporate fraud, tracking hidden assets, and putting a price tag on human tragedy. I was a master of numbers and ledgers.
But it took a single, violent shove at a dining room table to teach me the absolute, priceless, immeasurable value of my own peace.
I heard the sound of small, rapid footsteps hitting the wooden deck behind me.
Preview
“Mommy! Look!” Maya shrieked, barreling into my legs and hugging me tightly. She held up a small, chocolate bunny, her eyes wide with excitement. “I found the big one!”
I set my glass down on the railing and scooped her up into my arms. She was heavy, solid, and wonderfully alive. I buried my face in her neck, making a silly, exaggerated monster noise that made her throw her head back and laugh uncontrollably.
She was completely safe. She was fiercely, unconditionally loved.
I turned my back on the empty house behind me and walked down the stairs, carrying my daughter into the bright, warm sunlight of the yard.
