The end of darkness

"I pronounce you husband and wife," the priest announces, and everyone in the chapel applauds. I lean forward and kiss Revean .

"I love you, Mrs. Snow Smart . You are mine forever."

"Yours." She kisses me back. "Mr. Snow Smart ."

"We are bound together forever," I tell her. "This is a new beginning for both of us." A spasm of pain shoots through me. "Unfortunately I think we're going to have to wait to consummate this marriage. I think I'm going to have to listen to Andrew for once and get medical treatment. I'm sure I have at least one broken rib."

Revean laughs, "It's okay. I'll let you go this time. Besides, it's not like you need to knock me up in a hurry."

I look at her confused.

"I'm late." She brings her hand to her abdomen. "I think I'm already pregnant with our child."

REVEAN

A YEAR LATER.

"I can't believe we created them, Eliot . Out of so much bad has come so much good." I am standing by the crib of our daughter, Amanda .

Eliot is sitting in a chair feeding a bottle to Jackson , his twin brother and our firstborn. The babies are now three months old and named after my father and Eliot's mother. They are everything to us, and we both spend as much time with them as we can.

When they grow up, their lives will be very different from the lives we live. They will be encouraged to stay on the right side of the law as much as possible. They will not suffer poverty or hunger, and they will not have to search for their next meal as I did. They will be loved and adored. It's a pity they only have one grandmother.

"Here is Amanda's milk." My mother hands me a warm bottle, but I hand it back to her. "It's okay, Mom, you feed her."

"Are you sure?" she asks me.

I nod my head.

She's been clean for over a year and has her own annex at Eliot's house and mine, where she lives. She had a hard time coming back to Las Vegas at first, but I know that when they moved my father's and Eliot's mother's graves together , she spent a lot of time there, chatting with them.

She has apologized for not being there for me growing up. I finally feel like I have a mother. And I'm glad that, thanks to the twins, we can experience together the things I missed as a child.

I sit next to Eliot as our son finishes his bottle and falls asleep in my husband's arms.

"I love you," I tell him.

"I love you too."

They are words I never thought I would hear, but he says to me often. They will never get old. Even if he's still a controlling, grumpy bastard, I wouldn't want him any other way.

Mery pokes her head around the door. "May I come in?" she asks.

"Have you had a shower? I don't want any of those parasites anywhere near the babies," asks Eliot , eyebrows furrowed.

"Of course I did." He rolls his eyes before taking Jackson from her arms and cradling him.

I can see the first signs of a bump as the baby she's raising for her and Andrew reaches his fourth month. I know it won't be long before they both stop working with the animals at the veterinary center Eliot bought for me in Las Vegas. I was forced to leave at five months, but since the boys have been born I've been back there a few times.

As soon as the twins are old enough, I'll get them involved in the center, and when I finish my degree, I'll be able to take on a more active role. I will always be there for my family, but I am also fulfilling my dream. It all started with Luna .

My best friend from Pharr is happily settled at home with her own family. She didn't last long in the cage in the garden. You'd never know she was once a stray cat, and now she's spayed, so if she ever wanders again, she won't come back with any more surprises.

"How is Dragon ?" I ask Mery .

He's a dog that was brought to the center last week with a nasty snake bite. It was not known if he would survive for some time.

"He was sent home today. His owners were very happy. They were crying. I was delighted to see him." Mery smiles and sits in the rocking chair with Jackson still in her arms.

I watch as my mother sits Amanda down to burp her. With no children to cuddle, I lean back in Eliot's arms and he pulls me close.

"How was the casino today?" I ask him.

"Good. We had to send a little message. I found someone stealing tokens. They won't do it again." He gives me a kiss on the forehead.

"I know you'll always have to. I'm glad you've finally shut down the sex trafficking and drug side of the business and are trying to help Vincent legitimize his interests."

I know that Eliot and Andrew have long been dismantling the most illegal and disreputable part of the Snow empire . That's not to say their rivals haven't tried to pick up the slack, but with the help of Vicente and other powerful names in Las Vegas, none have succeeded. We both know it's not going to stay that way forever, but until it becomes unmanageable, we intend to enjoy our lives.

"Hello." Andrew enters the room and throws his travel bag on the floor.

He walks over to Mery , who is still in the rocking chair with Jackson asleep in her arms, and, bending down, kisses her on the lips and gently strokes her belly.

Andrew has been in Europe for several weeks and has just returned.

"We have her," he says to Eliot , and I know he means one of the women my husband's father trafficked. "She's getting the help she needs."

With part of the inheritance I received from my father, we set up a home to help women who had been trafficked by Eliot's father . We have spent millions trying to locate and help them. There are still more to be found, and we are determined to do everything we can to help as many as we can.

I know my father would be proud that we spent the money for such a good cause. He was going to help Eliot's mother escape her own persecution, but unfortunately he never got the chance. Eliot and I have succeeded where my father, due to his cruel and untimely death, failed.

We will always fight for those less fortunate than ourselves. That is who we are and always will be.

That is the future of our family.

It is as it always should have been.

The end.