Chapter 233

Chapter 233
SEAN

Two months later, we stood on the white cliffs of Dover, England. Grace ran ahead of us, her pigtails bouncing in the wind. Noah, now strong enough to travel, was securely strapped to my chest in a baby carrier.

"Daddy, Mommy, take a picture!" Grace yelled, posing dramatically at the cliff's edge.

Eve moved forward nervously. "Grace, step back from there."

I snapped several photos of our excited daughter, then handed Eve a small velvet box.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Open it."

Inside was an ornate key.

"There's a small castle just down the road," I explained. "It's yours now. Our vacation home."

Eve stared at me in disbelief. "You bought a castle?"

"Just a small one," I shrugged. "I thought you deserved a real one."

Her eyes filled with tears. "Sean Winters, you continue to surprise me."

"In good ways, I hope."

She stood on tiptoe to kiss me. "The best ways."

"We're not going to end up like Robbie and Cecilia," I promised. "Our story has a different ending."

Watching Eve and our children enjoying the sea breeze, I thought about how far we'd come. Nine years ago, I found a drenched woman in the rain who needed shelter. Now that same woman had given me a complete family.

"Sean, taking care of me and Potato won't be a losing deal for you," she'd joked back then.

She'd been right. I'd gained everything.

I pulled Eve closer, wrapping my arm around her waist as we faced the ocean. "Thank you for coming back to me," I whispered against her hair.

"I never really left," she answered, turning in my arms to meet my eyes.

The End