Epilogue

5 years later

Family dinners have become our favorite thing to host at our house. Cameron and I wasted no time. We came back from our vacation and told everyone we were together. Two months later, we were living under the same roof, and a year after that we were married.

I have taken a step back from psychiatry to focus on who I wanted to be, but this year I'll be teaching at the University. I still help my family when they need me, but my role is less professional now that I have helped them bring on a few more trustworthy therapists.

Evie has changed the one-year Mafie University to four years, now offering education along with other courses to be learned side by side. There are a large number of people interested in therapy as well as psychological manipulation of the enemy, which is the course I will teach.

Cameron will be going too, staying on as the main doctor, teaching others in a fast-track residency program to become trauma surgeons.

We've become a family, a real family. And for once, I believe this is going to be forever. Our bonds have been forged in fire and tested time and again, always coming out stronger in the end.

Kai will be attending the university in two years, Rhea and Rick along with him. Maree will be studying under me then, and Storm will be head of the residency program under Cameron.

The twins will be going in a few years since they've already graduated way ahead of schedule along with their friend and neighbor Peter. It turns out they all have eidetic memories and can remember anything they read, see, or study for very long periods of time.

Ani's speech is still very selective, but we've all learned to sign proficiently with her. She sat down with me to tell me about a new study she found of children with selective mutism and how hypnosis has helped them work past the speech barriers in their minds.

When I asked if she wanted me to learn to try and help her, she shook her head.

"I choose to talk like this because it gives my brain time to think," she signed. "I don't want to learn to speak."

I have a feeling she's going to have a loud voice one day, even if right now it is minimal.

Rhea and Rick are struggling though, and Kai seems to be at the center of it, even when he tries to stay away. I've done my best to help with their codependency problems, but Rick refuses to take accountability for his actions, which inhibits him from making steps towards real change. He wants a magic pill to fix him, and he refuses to believe that he and Rhea have any problems. It's become problematic for all of us more than a time or two.

He decided to sit tonight out, and Rhea is glued to Kai's side. He has taken my advice though and never pries into their struggles, only lending support. While most of the kids are thriving, a few still battle their demons, and Rhea and Rick are at the top of that list.

Those who were brainwashed came out of therapy last year. Alexi built a special program for them to work with him and the Bratva while also living a life they choose for themselves.

I look around the large table, smiling at all of the faces and trying to think of how all of this started. To think that we were all brought together because of one girl's need for revenge is truly mesmerizing.

"What are you thinking about, my little devil?" Cameron whispers in my ear, squeezing my thigh.

"Just how lucky we are to be part of this. Who knew all of our stories would have a happy ending?"

He looks at the table, his eyes scanning everyone before landing on the kids at the end.

"I think we have a few more to go," he nods in their direction, and I agree with him.

The battles we have to fight in this world are always hard-won, but the prize for us has been a life with the most accepting family we could have ever hoped for.

"I have a feeling their stories have only just begun, but ours, ours feels fairly well written," I say, draping a napkin over my lap.

Cameron squeezes my leg, leaning over to kiss my cheek.

"You are the greatest happily ever after."