Adeline ran up to him, she didn't care about her image. She wanted to hug her dad!
Her father bent down to pick her up. He looked at the harmonious image in front of him. This was what he wanted to protect, and he will at any cost.
He was about to respond when another figure caught his eye. Dimitri, the quiet boy they had taken in. Dimitri stood a bit to the side, slightly awkward but offering a respectful nod.
He admitted he was wary of this boy at first but slowly he grew closer to the family. It also caused him guilt, no one should be living like this. He couldn't let something like this continue in his territory.
When he chose to rehabilitate the refugees, he did it for Dimitri, he did it for Adeline, and he also did it for himself.
Once everything was settled, he found himself back in his study, staring out the window.
The swing moved gently against the breeze...
