He was simply there.
And for the first time since secrets surfaced—since Ray’s death, the money, the blood, the fear—
The silence felt earned.
Outside the window, dawn edged into the sky, soft and unafraid.
And for once, I didn’t wonder what would happen next.
I knew we’d face it.
Together.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
The house hummed with soft chaos—laughter, music, the thud of little feet racing down the hallway.The air smelled like freshly curled hair, warm vanilla lotion, and perfume as I adjusted Morgan’s bow for the fourth time, then turned just in time to see Michelle sprint past me, silver slippers dangling from her fingers like contraband.
“Michelle, we are leaving,” I called, laughing as she ducked behind my bed in a flurry of tulle and defiance.
“I’m wearing my sneakers!”she yelled.
Aunt Ruth chuckled from the doorway, already immaculate in a tailored navy pantsuit, her silver hair swept into an elegant twist.“You do know they get that stubborn streak from you, right?”
I arched a brow.“I choose to blame that trait on their father.”
We were ready—mostly—for a night I still hadn’t fully wrapped my mind around.
Tonight, my mother’s work—her heart, her quiet resilience—would finally hang on gallery walls instead of hiding in an attic.Paintings created in silence, in survival, were about to be seen.Really seen.
For the first time in her life, she wasn’t shrinking.
And Creed—
Creed had made room for all of us.
