“And now?” I asked.
“Now I think staying inside a falsified life was infinitely harder. I just didn’t know how to calculate the damage while I was surviving it.”
I clinked my glass against hers. “Most people don’t. That’s why the people stealing from you get so furious when you finally start measuring.”
Down on the dock, Lily suddenly gasped. A pair of wild loons surfaced near the reeds, their sleek bodies gliding effortlessly through the water. She turned and ran back up the wooden stairs, her eyes wide with wonder.
“Grandma! Grandma, look at the big birds!” she pointed excitedly. “Do they know this is their house?”
I looked at the water. I looked at the incredible, resilient daughter standing beside me, and the beautiful granddaughter who would grow up knowing exactly what she was worth.
I smiled, taking a sip of the dry red wine.
“Yes, Lily,” I said. “They know it’s their house. Because nobody can ever tell them otherwise.”
I had spent thirty-five years of my life balancing books for massive corporations. But standing on that deck, watching the sunset over a home fully paid for, protecting the two people I loved most in this world, I knew I had finally achieved the greatest return on investment of my entire life.
The audit was complete. And for the first time in years, the bottom line was absolutely perfect.
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction created for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to real persons, events, or places is coincidental.