Chapter 43 Happy Ending

Chapter 43 Happy Ending
KIARA'S POV

The moment I see him move toward Ria, my heart tightens.

Without wasting a second, he walks to her. I watch silently as he bends down and lifts her into his arms.

“What happened, my princess?” he asks her gently.

Ria doesn’t answer. She buries her face in his neck and starts crying. Her small body shakes, and even from here I can feel the weight of her sobs. I clutch the baby a little closer to me, my arms instinctively tightening around him.

He rocks her slowly, whispering softly, “No, baby… he’s your brother. Look how cute he is.”

Ria shakes her head hard. Her eyes are red, her voice broken and trembling, “No… he… is… bad…!”

Those words hit me like a stab.

I feel my breath hitch. Fear crawls into my heart not for myself, but for both my children. Slowly, carefully, I closer, holding the baby out a little, trying to bridge the distance between them.

“Ria,” I say softly, forcing calm into my voice, “look… he’s so adorable. He’s your brother.”

For a split second, I think she might listen.

But then everything happens too fast.

Ria suddenly lifts her tiny hand and slaps the baby’s soft cheek hard.

“Riaaa…!” I scream, panic ripping through me.

The baby starts crying immediately, his tiny face scrunching in pain. My whole body reacts before my mind does I bend over him, shielding him instinctively, my heart pounding wildly.

Before I can say anything more, he grabs Ria’s hand. His voice isn’t loud, but it’s firm steady. I see him look straight into her eyes, not angry, not harsh… just understanding.

And suddenly I realize he understands her pain better than I do.

He cups her cheek gently, “Princess… he’s your brother.”

I stand frozen, holding my breath, watching every word, every expression.

He speaks slowly, patiently, “Now you both will play together every day… play games, watch TV… share lunch… and yes, you’ll scold him a lot too.”

I see Ria listening. Really listening.

Her tears don’t disappear immediately, but something changes. The anger fades. Curiosity creeps in. She looks at him with innocent eyes and asks softly, “He… bad…?”

My heart aches.

He smiles and shakes his head, “No, princess… he’s good. And the most important thing he will listen to everything you say.”

And then it happens.

A small, hesitant smile appears on Ria’s face. Her tears finally stop. For the first time, she looks at her brother not with fear, not with anger but with something close to acceptance.

Time keeps passing slowly… and before we even realize it, a whole year has slipped through our fingers.

Our once small, fragile beginning has now turned into a complete family. Today, our son Jacob Martin is about to turn one year old. The thought itself fills my heart with warmth.

His laughter echoes in my ears even when he isn’t making a sound. His broken babbling words, his innocent smiles, his tiny fingers wrapping around mine everything about him has quietly become my entire world.

Right now, life feels full.

For the moment, Neil has some important work in California, which is why we stay here for a few days. And now, today is the day we are returning home.

We are seated inside a helicopter.

The soft hum of the engine fills the space around us. The pilot sits in the front, fully focused. Between us and the cockpit, a transparent partition stretches across, allowing a clear view of the endless sky.

White clouds drift lazily around us, and far below, the world looks small, distant, almost unreal. The helicopter cuts smoothly through the air, steady and controlled just like the life we are slowly building together.

On the back seat, Neil and I sit side by side.

In my arms lies little Jacob. His tiny fist stays clenched most of the time, as if he’s holding onto the world even in rest.

Sometimes he looks up at me with wide, curious eyes, blinking slowly. Sometimes he tries to grab my finger with his soft hand, his grip weak but determined.

I can feel his gentle breathing against my chest, warm and rhythmic, and every breath he takes fills my heart with silent gratitude. I instinctively tighten my hold around him, protective without realizing it.

Neil sits close enough that our shoulders touch.

In his arms, Ria is fast asleep. Her head rests against his chest, completely trusting, completely safe. One of her small hands clutches his shirt tightly, as if even in sleep she fears letting him go. Neil’s movements are slow and careful.

With one hand, he gently strokes her hair, making sure not to wake her. His touch is natural, practiced filled with patience and love.

Watching him like this, my heart softens.

In this quiet moment, something becomes very clear to me.

This man doesn’t just love his children he lives for them.

For Ria, he isn’t only a father. He is her world. Her safety. Her comfort. The place she returns to without thinking. And for Jacob, Neil is already becoming something powerful a shield, a protector, a promise that no harm will ever reach him.

And it doesn’t stop with the children.

Neil takes just as much care of me.

The way he checks if I’m comfortable, the way his arm instinctively moves closer when the helicopter shifts slightly, the way his eyes flick to me again and again quietly making sure I’m okay. He doesn’t always say it in words, but his presence speaks loudly enough.

I lean back slightly, holding Jacob close, surrounded by the people who now define my life.

Above the clouds, between the sky and the earth, in this moving helicopter, I realize something simple yet powerful This isn’t just a journey back home.

This is the life we chose. And right now… it feels exactly where I belong.

Amid the soft hum of the helicopter, Neil suddenly speaks, “Kiara…”

I turn to look at him, “Yes?”

He looks straight into my eyes. There is seriousness in his gaze, and also fear an unfamiliar kind of fear, one that comes only from the heart.

“You’re happy with me… aren’t you?” he asks softly.

For a moment, I stay quiet. Then I smile a smile that comes from my heart, without any hesitation or obligation.

“Yes,” I reply gently, “very much.”

He seems to relax a little, then speaks again his voice deeper this time, “I don’t hurt you, do I?”
He pauses for a second and then adds, “If I ever do… punish me. But don’t go away from me. The thought of that… scares me.”

Hearing his words, my heart swells with emotion. I pull Jacob a little closer to my chest, lean slightly toward Neil, and say, “I will never leave.”

He looks at me, as if trying to believe it. I meet his eyes again and repeat, “Never.”

Suddenly, Neil turns toward me and says, “Kiara… look down.”

I ask, a little confused, “Why?”

He just smiles softly and replies, “Just look.”

I slowly lean toward the helicopter window. I glance down through the glass… and for a moment, my breath completely catches.

Below us stretches the deep blue ocean. Its waves move in a gentle rhythm. And in between those waves… an image begins to form the reflection of Neil and me.

It’s as if the water itself is telling our story.

The picture forming on the surface of the sea is so clear that my eyes widen in pure disbelief.

The deep blue water below us reflects something impossible something magical. Right there, on the vast surface of the ocean, a perfect image of Neil and me takes shape, as if the sea itself is holding our story.

And written beautifully across it are words that make my breath stop.

“I love you, Sweetheart.
You are my everything.
Even if I am given another life,
I would still choose to spend my entire life
with you.”

My heart begins to pound wildly against my chest.

It beats so fast that I can hear it in my ears. My hands tremble slightly as tears instantly gather in my eyes. It feels as if every breath I’ve ever taken rushes into this one moment. My chest tightens with emotion I don’t even know how to name.

Slowly, I turn my face toward Neil.

He isn’t looking at the sea anymore.

He’s looking only at me.

There’s a deep, sincere smile on his face the kind that doesn’t come from lips, but from the soul. His eyes are soft, warm, and filled with a love so honest that it almost scares me.

He speaks gently, his voice calm but meaningful.

“I never really gave you a confession that made you feel special,” he says quietly, “So I thought… today I’d do something different.”

That’s all it takes. My emotions spill over. Love, gratitude, disbelief everything crashes together inside my heart. Without thinking, I step closer and gently rest my head against his chest. The moment I do, I hear it his heartbeat. Strong. Steady. Alive. So close to my ears that it feels like it’s syncing with my own.

I close my eyes.

In a trembling voice, I whisper, “Thank you so much, Neil.”

He doesn’t say anything. He just tightens his arms slightly around me, letting me speak.

I take a breath and continue, my voice heavy with truth.

“Happiness… love… care…” I pause, swallowing the lump in my throat, “I learned what all of this truly means because of you.”

My fingers clutch his jacket unconsciously, as if holding onto him keeps everything real.

My voice shakes, but I don’t stop.

“I never felt the kind of importance you give me every single moment,” I say softly, “The way you look at me… the way you protect me… the way you choose me every day.”

I pull back just enough to look at his face, my eyes wet but honest.

“You are,” I say slowly, meaning every word,
“the most beautiful part of my life.”

Before he can respond, I wrap my arms tightly around him.

It isn’t a gentle hug.

It’s desperate, grateful, full of love like I want to gather my entire past, present, and future into this one embrace. Like I never want to let go.

Neil exhales softly and brings one hand up, resting it gently on my hair. His fingers move slowly, soothingly, as if he’s memorizing this moment too.

He leans down slightly and whispers near my ear,
“I love you.”

Those words simple, sincere settle deep inside my heart.

Still wrapped in his arms, my eyes closed, my cheek pressed against his chest, I reply softly, without hesitation, without fear,

“I love you too.”

And in that moment above the sea, beneath the sky, wrapped in his arms everything feels complete.

THE END..!!

So Dear Reader's Did You like The Story ?