Rowans Epilogue

Years later…

I never imagined I would see Lily again, especially not after all the years of searching and hoping. I had really thought she had disappeared. I never had a reason to think otherwise.

Yet, here she was, sitting across from me in our living room. The moment she stepped through the door, I felt a flood of emotions — relief, joy, and a hint of fear.

She had contacted me, telling me she wanted to come over. When that happened, it had been a surprise. I never thought she would try to see me again. Given our current situation, I thought she wanted to stay away, feeling too much regret because of her drug addiction.

I had always feared that the next time I saw her, it would be too late. Relief washed over me, realizing it wasn't going to be that way.

And now, looking at her, I saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes that I hadn't seen in a long time. It appeared she was thinking she could be more.

"I'm so happy for you, Rowan," Lily said, her voice trembling slightly. "You have a beautiful family now. It gives me hope that I can turn my life around too. Hopefully, I can do that one day."

"You can, Lily," I reassured her, reaching out to hold her hand. "You're stronger than you think. You've always been. And now, you have even more reason to fight — for yourself and for us."

As if on cue, Aurora burst into the living room, her laughter filling the space with warmth. She always stole the scene everywhere she was.

She ran over to me and climbed onto my lap, her tiny hands tugging at my shirt. "Papa, I want to play! I'm so bored," she demanded, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Diego appeared in the doorway, his usual cocky grin in place. "Looks like someone is stealing your attention, Rowan," he teased, walking over to join us. He scooped Aurora into his arms, making her giggle even more.

"Lily, this is Diego, my husband," I introduced them, smiling at the sight of my family together. "And this little troublemaker is Aurora."

Diego extended his hand to Lily, his expression softening. "It's nice to finally meet you, Lily. Rowan's told me a lot about you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Diego, and hopefully he has only told you good things about me," Lily replied, shaking his hand. "Thank you for taking care of my brother and my niece."

"You're family now," Diego said simply. "We take care of our own. We have to stick together."

I watched as Diego played with Aurora, his laughter mingling with hers. It was a sight I would never tire of, a reminder of how far we had come. Turning back to Lily, I saw tears in her eyes, but this time they were tears of happiness.

"Stay for dinner, Lily," I offered, squeezing her hand gently. "We have a lot to catch up on, and I want you to be a part of this — of us."

"That's exactly what I was thinking, actually," Lily said, a smile spreading across her face.

As we sat down for dinner, surrounded by laughter and love, I realized how truly lucky I was. I had my family back, and for the first time in a long time, I felt complete. Lily's presence was the final piece of the puzzle.

End of Book 2