Six Months Later
The valley was now a riot of emerald and gold. The river, once a roaring beast of ice and melt, had settled into a rhythmic, conversational hum. Inside the mill, the heat of June was tempered by the thick stone walls and the breeze rolling off the peaks.
Julian stood on a high scaffold in the sunroom, his hands steady despite the sweat beading on his forehead. This was the final piece. For six months, while Siena’s belly grew and River learned to crawl across the polished floors, Julian had been working in secret with a master glazier from York.
They hadn't just replaced the Munich glass; they had evolved it.
"Lower it... slowly," Julian commanded.
The new central pane was lowered into the leaded frame. It wasn't just a pattern of colors anymore. Julian had desi
