"The sight of you two together," Ollie says, voice thick, "is the second happiest thing I've witnessed today."
I laugh through tears and squeeze his hand before moving toward Mom and Nick.
"Nora, come meet your niece.” Mom says softly, and when I see her holding this tiny new person, I completely break.
"Can I?—?"
"Of course, sweetheart."
Nick moves aside, and I kneel beside Mom's chair, looking down at my niece for the first time. She's impossibly small. Perfect little fingers curled into fists, a shock of dark hair, eyes closed in peaceful sleep.
"Her name's Annabelle," Mia says from the bed. "Annie for short."
"Hi, Annie," I whisper. "I'm your Aunt Nora."
Mom carefully transfers her into my arms, and the weight of her—solid and real and alive—makes my breath catch. I stand slowly, cradling her carefully, and Nate comes up beside me. His arm slides around my waist, and together we look down at this brand new person. Annie shifts slightly, makes a small sound, and one tiny hand stretches out.
"She's beautiful," Nate says softly, and I hear all the wonder in his voice.
"You know," Mia says from the bed, voice knowing, "it suits you both."
I glance up to find her smiling at us, exhausted but happy, and I understand what she means.
This.
Us.
Annie squirms in my arms, and I carefully hand her back to Mom, who takes her with practiced ease.
"Okay," Ollie says, breaking the comfortable silence. "Now that everyone's here and our little girl’s been sufficiently admired, can we talk about the fact that these two finally got their act together?"
Everyone laughs, and the room fills with warmth and teasing and love.
"Finally," Mom adds, looking at us with eyes that shine.
And standing there in that hospital room, surrounded by family and new life and second chances, I realize something:
I've spent so long looking for home in places and accomplishments and relationships that looked right on paper. Spent years building a life that made sense to everyone else while feeling hollow inside.
But home was never a place I needed to find.
It was a place I needed to return to. A place that waited patiently while I wandered. A place that never stopped believing I'd find my way back eventually.
Home is here.
In this small room with these people.
In the house Nate built from a promise.
Because now we are exactly where we’re supposed to be.
Together.
The End.
EPILOGUE
NATE
