Chapter 5

Sylvester didn't move from the floor. He stayed at eye level with Sebastian, his large frame looking uncharacteristically small as he tried not to frighten the boy.

"The locket, huh?" Sylvester whispered, glancing up at me with a look that was half accusation and half hope.

"He's a doctor, Seb," I said, my voice trembling. "He... he helped your grandpapa a long time ago."

Sebastian, always the curious one, walked closer and touched the stethoscope peeking out of Sylvester’s bag. "Do you fix hearts?"

Sylvester let out a shaky breath, his eyes never leaving the boy. "I’m trying to, Sebastian. I’m trying very hard to fix a big one right now."

While Sylvester sat on the rug showing Sebastian how to listen to a heartbeat, Neel appeared in the doorway. His arms were crossed, and his face was a mask of stone. He beckoned Sylvester into the kitchen.

"I don't care who you were to her," Neel said, his voice a low, dangerous growl once they were out of earshot. "I've spent five years watching her jump at shadows. I’ve watched her raise that boy alone while looking over her shoulder. If you’re here to cause more pain, doctor or not, you won't leave this house on your own two feet."

Sylvester didn't flinch. He met Neel’s gaze with the steady eyes of a man who had already been through h£ll. "I didn't leave her, Neel. She was stolen from me. And that boy? He’s the half of my soul I didn't know was missing. I’m not here to take him; I’m here to be the man he deserves. You can hate me all you want, but I’m staying."

Neel studied him for a long beat. He saw the raw honesty in Sylvester’s grief. Slowly, Neel’s posture relaxed. "She still loves you," Neel muttered, heading for the door. "Don’t make her regret it a second time."

One Year Later

The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was the only thing louder than the laughter coming from the sand. It wasn't a beach wedding this time; we had already done that. This was a celebration of a life rebuilt. Sylvester was chasing Sebastian near the water's edge, the boy’s shrieks of joy echoing in the salt air.

It hadn't been easy. There were months of therapy, of long nights where I woke up screaming from nightmares of that hotel room, and Sylvester would hold me until the sun rose, whispering that he wasn't going anywhere. We had dealt with the police and the legal fallout of Marie’s "prank" that had turned into a criminal drugging case.

Marie was gone, facing the consequences of a life built on malice.

I laughed in her face then: "I hope you rot in jail, you deceiving b@stard. I have my happy ending now. Deal with it."

Sylvester walked back toward me, scooping a sandy Sebastian up onto his shoulders. He looked younger now. The hardness in his jaw had softened, replaced by a peace I hadn't seen since we were twenty-two.

"Mama says the food is ready," Sylvester said, reaching out to take my hand and kissing my already protruding stomach. This time, though, we both bet on a girl.

I looked at our joined hands, then up at my husband. "I was so lost for so long," I whispered.

Sylvester stopped, pulling me into the crook of his arm. He kissed my forehead, then Sebastian’s. "The mango tree morning is over, Reina. We're home."

As we walked back toward the beach house where Mama and Neel were waiting, I realized that the "D" word I had feared so much wasn't Death. It was Distrust. And now that it was gone, there was finally room for us to breathe.

Under the bright afternoon sun, for the first time in five years, the shadows didn't follow me.