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Chapter 8: Crossing the Rubicon
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2025-07-25 00:45:14
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the bodyguard's secret Chapter 64: A Voice from the Past
Two years after Leo received the MacArthur Fellowship, The Anchor Workshop had become a nationally recognized center for art-based community healing. The research study with the National Institute of Mental Health was yielding groundbreaking data, and Leo and Silas were in high demand as speakers and consultants. They had found a rhythm that allowed them to expand their impact without sacrificing their own well-being, balancing national travel with quiet time at home.But their peaceful, purposeful life was about to be disrupted by a voice from a past they thought was long buried.Leo was in his studio, working on a new series of paintings for an upcoming solo exhibition, when Silas appeared in the doorway with a strange expression on his face."You have a visitor," Silas said, his voice carefully neutral in a way that immediately put Leo on high alert."A visitor?" Leo asked, setting down his brush. "Who is it?""Someone who claims to be your cousin," Silas said. "From your mother's
the bodyguard's secret Chapter 63: Home Improvements
The blueprints were spread across their kitchen table like a map of their future, detailed drawings that showed how their modest house could be expanded to accommodate Leo's growing success and their evolving needs. Leo traced the lines with his finger, envisioning the new studio space that would be large enough for major installations, the expanded workshop where Silas could take on bigger projects, the guest suite where visiting artists or workshop participants could stay. "It's a lot," Silas said, studying the plans with his practical eye. "Are you sure we want to change this much? This house has been our sanctuary for so long." Leo understood his husband's hesitation. Their home had been their refuge, the place where they'd learned to heal and love and simply exist without fear. The idea of major construction, of disrupting the peace they'd worked so hard to create, was daunting. "I don't want to change what we have," Leo said carefully. "I want to expand it. The core of t
the bodyguard's secret Chapter 62: The Gallery Opening
The invitation arrived on elegant cream paper, embossed with gold lettering that caught the light as Leo turned it over in his hands. "The Meridian Foundation cordially invites you to the opening reception for 'Journey to Light: An Installation by Leo Moretti.'" Below the formal text was a photograph of his completed installation—four connected rooms that told the story of transformation from trauma to healing, from darkness to light. "It's really happening," Leo said, his voice a mixture of excitement and terror. "Three months of work, and now people are actually going to see it." Silas looked up from the woodworking magazine he'd been reading, immediately picking up on the anxiety in Leo's voice. "How are you feeling about it?" "Terrified," Leo admitted, sinking into the chair beside Silas. "What if people don't understand it? What if they think it's too personal, too raw? What if the critics hate it?" The installation had been the most challenging project of Leo's career,
the bodyguard's secret Chapter 64: New Traditions
The first Thanksgiving at their expanded home was a revelation in controlled chaos. Leo stood in their new, larger kitchen, watching Silas carve the turkey while Harlan regaled their guests with stories from his latest woodworking projects. The dining room table—one of Silas's masterpieces, crafted specifically for occasions like this—was set for twelve people, more than they'd ever hosted before. "I can't believe we're doing this," Leo murmured to Silas as he checked on the sweet potatoes. "A year ago, we could barely handle having three people over for dinner." "And now look at us," Silas replied, his voice warm with satisfaction. "Hosting Thanksgiving for our entire chosen family." The guest list was a testament to how much their world had expanded. Harlan, of course, who had become like a father to both of them. Petrova, who had flown in from her latest assignment with Doctors Without Borders. Reynolds, who had driven down from Seattle with his new boyfriend, a software en
the bodyguard's secret Chapter 61: Anniversary Reflections
October 15th dawned clear and crisp, with the kind of autumn light that made everything look like it had been painted in gold and amber. Leo woke early, as he always did on significant days, and lay in bed for a moment watching Silas sleep. One year. They had been married for exactly one year, and it felt both like a lifetime and like no time at all. The man beside him looked peaceful in sleep, his face relaxed in a way that still sometimes surprised Leo. For so many years, Silas had carried tension even in rest, his body always alert for potential threats. But marriage, their quiet life, the meaningful work they were doing together—it had all contributed to a deep sense of safety that allowed Silas to truly relax. Leo slipped out of bed carefully, not wanting to wake his husband just yet. He had plans for their anniversary morning, a small surprise that he'd been preparing for weeks. In the kitchen, he started coffee and began assembling the ingredients for Silas's favorite b
the bodyguard's secret Chapter 60: Teaching and Learning
The first official class at The Anchor Workshop was scheduled for a Tuesday morning in January, six months after construction had begun and three months after the buildings were completed. Leo stood in the main workshop space, breathing in the scent of fresh wood and new beginnings, watching Silas make final adjustments to the workbenches he'd crafted specifically for the program. "Nervous?" Silas asked, looking up from the hand plane he was testing. "Terrified," Leo admitted, checking his watch for the fifth time in ten minutes. "What if they don't show up? What if they do show up and I have no idea how to help them? What if this whole thing is a massive mistake?" Silas set down his tools and crossed the room to where Leo was fidgeting with the art supplies he'd arranged and rearranged three times already. "Hey," he said gently, taking Leo's hands in his. "Look at me." Leo met his husband's steady grey eyes, drawing strength from the calm confidence he found there. "You k
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