Time had softened the sharp edges of their past.
It had been nearly a year since they brought Hope and Elian home.
Their home was no longer just walls and luxury—it breathed now. Laughter echoed off the halls, toys lay scattered across the once-pristine floors, and the scent of warm bottles and fresh lavender seemed to linger in the air like a blessing. The house, once a fortress, had become a haven.
Emilia stood at the nursery door, watching as Sebastian danced in slow, clumsy circles with Elian in his arms. Hope was already asleep in the crib, a thumb tucked into her tiny mouth, her dark lashes resting on plump cheeks.
Sebastian looked up, a grin tugging at his lips. "He's got my rhythm."
Emilia leaned against the frame, arms crossed over her chest, her smile soft. "God help us."
They laughed quietly, the kind of laughter shared by people who had weathered storms and come out stronger, gentler.
Some nights were harder than others—when teething made sleep a myth or when the exhaustion clung to them like fog. But they faced those moments together, never alone.
Emilia had found something even deeper than love—she found peace in the chaos. Security not in solitude, but in the constant, messy, beautiful noise of a family growing. She watched Sebastian become a father—not just in title, but in every loving look, every sleepy diaper change, every kiss placed on a soft baby forehead.
He had once believed he wasn't made for a life like this. That men like him didn't get happy endings. But here he was, holding his son close, humming off-key to a lullaby he didn't quite know, and loving every second.
"Remember when we thought forever was some impossible dream?" Emilia asked as she stepped closer, sliding her hand into his.
Sebastian kissed her knuckles. "Now it's just... our Tuesday night."
Their eyes met, and in that gaze, a thousand words passed. Gratitude. Growth. Love. A silent promise: This is ours. Always.
Outside, stars blanketed the sky, the same stars they had once wished on when their lives were unraveling. Now, those wishes had shape and sound—Hope's gentle breathing, Elian's tiny fingers curled around Sebastian's shirt, Emilia's soft humming as she tucked a blanket over their daughter.
In this house, in this life, they had built something unshakable. And though the future would bring its own hurdles, they were ready.
Together.
Forever didn't feel like a promise anymore. It felt like a truth already being lived—one sleepy smile, one midnight bottle, one heartbeat at a time.