Everyone held their breath.
“Project Seraphim is shut down effective immediately,” the judge said. “All research material is to be seized and sealed. Miss Calva will face criminal trial. As for Mr. Dorian Vale, this court strongly recommends further investigation into his conduct and that of the board.”
Dorian shot to his feet.
“Your Honor—”
“Sit down, Mr. Vale,” the judge said sharply. “Consider yourself fortunate you are not being charged here today.”
The gavel came down. It was over.
Ariston pulled Elo into his arms right there in the courtroom. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed, but this time they were tears of relief.
“We won,” Sky said, jumping up and down. “We won.”
Elo reached for her.
“We did it,” she said.
“You did it,” Sky corrected. “You were so brave.”
Outside the courthouse, reporters waited with cameras and microphones, shouting questions. Ariston didn’t stop. He simply held his daughter’s hand in one hand and placed the other on Sky’s shoulder and walked them straight past the cameras, straight to the car, straight home.
Healing would take time, but for the first time, it could really begin.
In the weeks that followed, Ariston made a decision. Guilt gnawed at him—the signatures he’d given without reading closely enough, the meetings he’d attended instead of noticing his daughter’s pain.
One night at dinner, he cleared his throat.
“I’m starting a foundation,” he said. “For children who’ve been hurt by people they trusted.”
Elo looked up.
“Really?” she asked.
“Really,” he said. “It’ll provide therapy, legal help, safe places to go. And…” He swallowed. “I’d like to name it after you, if that’s okay.”
“The Eloin Vale Foundation,” she said slowly.
A shy smile spread across her face.
“I love it,” she said.
Sky raised her juice glass.
“To helping kids,” she said.
They clinked glasses together.
Over the next few months, Ariston threw himself into building the foundation. He hired therapists, social workers, lawyers willing to work pro bono. He rented a small building across town and painted the walls bright colors. There were soft chairs instead of stiff ones, shelves of toys and books, quiet rooms where kids could talk without anyone listening at doors.
Elo and Sky helped design a mural for the longest wall. They spent an afternoon under the watchful eye of a very nervous facilities manager, painting two children holding hands under a wide, hopeful sky.