Chapter 176 Ready or Not

Chapter 176 Ready or Not
A few weeks later…

For the first time in what felt like forever, life was quiet.

Not perfect. Just quiet.

And I would take quiet over chaos any day.

I stood at the kitchen counter, stirring Kendrick’s cereal while sunlight streamed through the windows, warming the tiles beneath my bare feet. The house smelled like fresh coffee, and something suspiciously burnt.

Which could only mean one thing.

Aaron was cooking.

A smile tugged at my lips. “Kendrick,” I called toward the living room, “should we be worried?”

A loud crash answered me, followed by Aaron’s voice. “I’m fine!”

I laughed. “That’s not what I asked.”

A tiny giggle erupted from the living room. My heart melted instantly. I wiped my hands and walked toward the sound.

The sight stopped me in the doorway.

Aaron sat cross-legged on the floor with Kendrick balanced between his legs. Our son was laughing so hard his little face had turned bright red. A ridiculous plastic crown sat crooked on Aaron’s head, and he was making the worst dinosaur noises I’d ever heard.

I folded my arms, fighting a grin. “What exactly is happening here?”

Aaron looked up, completely serious. “We’re conducting important business.”

Kendrick squealed in agreement.

I shook my head. “Of course you are.”

Aaron pointed at our son. “See? He understands.”

Another delighted squeal. Traitor.

I couldn’t stop smiling. Moments like these still caught me off guard. For so long, life had been nothing but survival—one crisis, one heartbreak after another. But now there were ordinary mornings. And somehow, they felt more precious than anything else.

Aaron lifted Kendrick into his arms. “Tell Mommy she’s interrupting important negotiations.”

Kendrick immediately grabbed Aaron’s nose. Aaron pretended to be deeply offended.

I laughed so hard tears pricked my eyes.

God, I loved them. Both of them. More than words could hold.

Aaron’s gaze shifted to me. His playful smile softened into something warmer, something that still made my stomach flutter even after everything. “You okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

And for once, it wasn’t a lie.

Life wasn’t perfect. The internet still whispered. Blogs still posted. Strangers still had opinions. But I didn’t carry the weight of it anymore. Because every night I came home to this—my family. That was what mattered.

Aaron eventually handed me the baby and disappeared back into the kitchen. Five minutes later, smoke drifted into the living room.

I blinked. “Aaron?”

No answer.

“Aaron!”

I hurried in. The frying pan was completely black. The eggs were unrecognizable charcoal. Aaron stood in the middle of the disaster, spatula in hand, looking personally betrayed by the gas cooker.

“What happened?” I asked, barely holding back laughter.

“I followed the instructions.”

“You burned water.”

His eyes narrowed. “That’s impossible.”

“Yet somehow you managed it.”

He looked genuinely confused. I laughed until tears filled my eyes. Aaron pointed the spatula at me. “You’re supposed to support me.”

“I am supporting you,” I wheezed. “This is hilarious.”

Kendrick chose that moment to giggle too. Aaron’s expression turned comically betrayed. “Even my own son?”

“Our son,” I corrected softly.

His face melted into a tender smile, and my heart did that familiar, stupid little flip.

Later that afternoon, while Kendrick napped, Aaron found me on the back porch. The breeze was gentle, carrying the scent of blooming flowers. He sat beside me in comfortable silence for a while.

Then he sighed. “I’ve been thinking.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That sounds dangerous.”

He chuckled, but his expression turned serious. “I don’t want to hide anymore.”

My smile faded. I knew exactly what he meant.

Aaron leaned forward, forearms resting on his knees. “I’m tired of letting other people tell our story.” He looked at me, eyes steady. “I’m proud of you. Of us. I spent years loving you, and now that I finally have you… I’m not hiding it.”

Emotion tightened my throat. I looked away toward the yard, blinking back tears.

Aaron gently took my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. The touch grounded me. “I know you’re scared. But Sarah… we survived Zara. We survived the lies. We survived losing everything. We can survive people talking.”

His words sank deep. He was right. We had walked through fire and come out the other side—together.

I looked down at our joined hands, then back at him. For the first time in years, something light and freeing bloomed in my chest.

A slow smile spread across my face and Aaron noticed immediately “What?”

I laughed softly. “I think I’m done being afraid too, people can talk for all I care.

His eyes widened, then warmed with that smile—the one that had once ruined me and somehow saved me too.

A week later, we attended a charity event together. Not secretly. Not separately. As a family.

Photographers waited. Reporters waited. Questions waited.

For a brief second outside the venue, old fear flickered. Aaron looked at me. “Last chance to run.”

I laughed, then reached for his hand. His fingers intertwined with mine—strong, steady, certain. I glanced at Kendrick sleeping peacefully in his stroller, then at the waiting crowd.

I wasn’t afraid anymore.

Because no matter what came next, I knew exactly where I belonged.

With them.

Aaron squeezed my hand. “Ready?”

I smiled—a real, deep-down smile. “Ready.”

And together, we walked forward.

Not hiding.

Not running.

Just finally living.