His smile bloomed—soft and full—but his eyes... his eyes looked like I’d just handed him something sacred.
And maybe I had.
Lanterns had been set up along the path—warm, golden orbs that glowed softly in the dark.
We followed their light down the marble steps, into the hush of night. Each footstep felt like memory—retracing the way we’d first arrived. Down through the trees. Toward the sea.
The air was still. Serene.
When we reached the beach, the stars were just beginning to break through the sky.
A small group waited at the shoreline.
Slade and Phoenix stood proud, dressed simply in fresh shirts and trousers.
They didn’t look formal. Just…cleaner.
Or maybe I was just trulyseeingthem for the first time.
And they weren’t alone.
Standing back, as if unsure whether she was welcome, was Syrena—with Jasper at her arm.
I paused, uncertain. My eyes flicked between them, then to the quiet gathering by the shore.
“What’s going on?” I asked finally.
Phoenix stepped forward.
He gently took me from Leo and Maddie’s side and guided me toward the beach.
Down on the sand sat a small wooden raft.
At its centre: a cluster of soft yellow roses. A votive candle flickered just in front.
A single card rested against the flowers.
Finn.
My hand rose instinctively to my throat—reaching for something that was no longer there.
Phoenix gently took my hand and unfurled my fingers, then placed something warm and familiar into my palm.
The pendant.
Mended.
My breath caught.
“We thought…” he said softly, “maybe you could say goodbye to Finn the old way.”
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead—quick, tender—then stepped back.
Leaving the choice to me.
I dropped to my knees before the small boat.
Reaching out, I gently brushed my fingers over his name.
