James pulled her closer, wrapping an arm gently around her shoulders.

“You’re a strong woman, Emma. And a brave mother. You’ve faced everything with dignity. One day, Celina will see that. Sooner or later, she’ll see the woman you’ve become—and she’ll want to know you. She’ll want to listen.”

Emma rested her head on his chest, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“And when that day comes,” she whispered, “I’ll be right here. Arms open.”

The silence that followed was soft, broken only by the steady rhythm of the rain beginning to fall outside, as if the sky itself blessed that unspoken promise of reconciliation. A mother’s love—patient and unyielding—remained intact. In every beat of Emma’s heart, there was hope; and in James’s deep, quiet breathing beside her, there was the steady strength of a man who knew that true love always finds its way home.

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A month had passed since Celina and Thor’s civil wedding, and their new mansion had become a nest of constant joy. The twins’ nursery was th