Chapter 20.1
The days that followed were something I never thought I’d feel again.
Warmth.
Laughter.
Peace.
Every morning, sunlight streamed through Roger’s grand estate, spilling across the marble floors and lighting up the comers of my soul that had long been left in shadow, I woke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the sound of birds just outside the tall glass windows, and soft voices–Jackson humming something tuneless in the kitchen, or Roger flipping through the morning paper while mumbling about outdated politics.
There was no screaming. No cold glares. No footsteps that made my blood run cold.
Only quiet. Only comfort.!
And for once, I felt like… I belonged
Roger had become something of a constant in my days. He wasn’t overbearing or patronizing. He didn’t look at me with pity. He treated me like his own daughter, which made the hollow space inside my chest feel just a little less empty.
One afternoon, he found me out in the garden, sitting under the tall shade of a willow tree. The wind tousled my hair gently as I stared at the distant horizon.
He sat beside me without a word, resting
sting a warm hand on my shoulder.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you more about them,” he said softly. “Your parents.”
Nty heart tightened.
He gave me a moment, then continued. “Your mother used to sing every morning. Badly. Off–key and loud. But your father loved it. He’d clap for her like she was on a stage in front of thousands.”
I laughed under my breath. “I don’t remember that“:
“You were very young,” he said. “But I remember. I used to visit them every weekend. Your dad was the only man I knew who could make a meal out of three ingredients and somehow charm everyone into thinking it was a five–star recipe.”
I smiled. “That… sounds familiar
Roger’s eyes softened. They loved you, Alicia. Fiercely. Your father once punched a man for calling you a crybaby at a family picnic. Your mother scolded him, of course, but she was smiling the whole time.”
I laughed then–full and free. It echoed through the garden like something newly born.
“I wish I remembered more,” I whispered. “I wish I hadn’t let so much fade.”
“You didn’t let it,” Roger said gently. Trauma buries what it needs to, to help you survive. But the memories are still there. And you’ve survived, Alicia. You’ve made it back.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.
Maybe he was right.
Maybe I was finally home.
The next morning, I asked for a ride into the city. Jackson offered to take me, but I told him I needed to go alone. He didn’t argue–just handed me the car keys with a kiss on the forehead and a small smile.
“Be safe,” he said. “Come back when you’re ready”
I drove with my hands trembling slightly on the wheel. Not from fear, but something else. Something softer. Something that made my chest tighten the closer I got to the cemetery gates.
I hadn’t visited since everything.
Since before the wedding. Since before the cage, the chains, the hell I’d walked through for five years.!!
And now I was coming back. Whole.!
I parked at the far edge, near the tall oak trees that shadowed the gravestones.
I walked slowly, each step crunching against the dried leaves beneath my boots,
Their names were etched into simple marble, side by side. Clean, polished, untouched by weeds or decay.
Mom, Dad X
I dropped to my knees in front of them, breath catching in my throat.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. Tm so sorry it took me this long to come.”
The tears came, but they weren’t bitter this time.
They were warm. Healing
“I made it out,” I said softly. “I got away. And I’m okay now. I’m going to have a baby and I’m not alone anymore.”
A breeze swept past, stirring my hair, brushing the tears from my cheeks like a mother’s touch
“I met Uncle Roger again. And Jackson. You remember him, right? The boy from the garden. He… he saved me in more ways than I can explain”
I smiled through the tears.
11:20 AM c
“I think you’d like him. He’s kind. He listens. He makes me feel like I matter,”
I reached out and touched the cold stone, my fingers tracing the letters of their names &
“I’m happy now” I whispered. “And I just wanted you to know”
By the time I got back to the estate, the sun had started to dip beneath the horizon.
The house was quiet. Dark.
I stepped inside and frowned. The foyer was dim, shadows stretching across the polished floor.
“Jackson?” I called out, confused &
No answer.
I walked further in, my footsteps echoing unnaturally loud in the stillness.
And then, the lights flickered on.
One by one.”
String lights hanging from the banisters. Candles glowing on every step. Soft music began playing from somewhere above.
1 froze
“What…?” I breathed.
Then Jackson appeared at the top of the staircase, dressed in black slacks and a white button–down, sleeves rolled to the elbows. He was grinning like a man who had waited his whole life for this exact moment.
“You scared me,” I said, trying to laugh.
He came down the steps slowly, hands behind his back.
“I know,” he said. “But I had to keep you distracted.”
I tilted my head, “Why?”
He stepped in front of me.
Then dropped to one knee X
My heart stopped
“No,” I whispered. “Jackson, what are you—“}
“Alicia,” he said, eyes never leaving mine. “You’ve been through hell. You’ve lost things no one should ever lose. And still, you survived. You stood back up. walked through fire and came out brighter than anyone I’ve ever met“}}
Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them.
“I know you don’t need a man. I know you don’t need a ring. You’ve built yourself back up with your own hands,” he said. “But I want to be the man who stands beside you while you keep building.”
He pulled out a small velvet box and opened it. A simple diamond sparkled inside–elegant and timeless.
“You don’t need this,” he continued, “but you deserve it. You deserve something good. Something soft. Something real.”
I stared at him, stunned!
My lips parted, but I couldn’t find the words.N
“This is a happy moment,” he said softly. “Let it be one.“!
And just like that, the fear melted away.
I nodded, eyes brimming:
“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes, Jackson.”
He slid the ring onto my finger, then stood and pulled me into his arms, spinning me slightly as the music swelled 8
The candles flickered. The lights sparkled.
And for the first time in my life, I wasn’t crying from pain.
I was crying from joy.
