The flight home felt longer than it truly was. Traveling with a toddler was no easy feat, yet Alexander—sweet, intuitive Alexander—seemed to sense that his mother needed him to behave. He stayed close to her, his small hand clutching hers as if he understood that every step brought them closer to something she both longed for and feared.
By the time Nerissa reached the beach house, the late afternoon sun was casting its golden glow over the shore. The sight of it caught her breath. This was where she and George had laughed, dreamed, and built a thousand moments that still lived in her heart. The walls seemed to whisper their memories back to her, each one a tender ache.
She stood there for a moment, just taking it all in, before unlocking the door. Maybe—just maybe—George wouldn't mind if she and Alexander stayed in the villa for now. After all, it was once their shared haven… and perhaps it could be again, even if only for a little while.
The maids froze in stunned silence at the sight of Nerissa standing in the doorway, Alexander nestled against her shoulder. For a heartbeat, no one moved—then the familiar warmth of recognition lit their faces, and they hurried forward to welcome her home.
She offered them a tired but genuine smile. "Please," she said softly, "let's keep my return quiet for now. Isabelle is still at the mansion, and I'd rather… avoid unnecessary attention." Her tone carried the weight of unspoken history, and the maids nodded in understanding, their loyalty as unwavering as ever.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Nerissa felt the weight on her chest ease just a little. The gentle hum of the waves beyond the veranda wrapped around her like an old friend. Yet, as her gaze wandered through the familiar rooms of the villa, her heart inevitably drifted back to Drake.
He had been her anchor once, her safe harbor when the storms of life grew too fierce. And even now, after all that had happened, she could not forget his kindness.
She wished she could tell him—truly tell him—how deeply she appreciated the quiet ways he had cared for her, protected her, loved her. Words felt too small, too fragile to contain the gratitude swelling in her heart. Still, if Drake could somehow hear her now, she would whisper the only thing that came close to what she felt:
Thank you… for everything.
That evening, the villa was quiet except for the rhythmic sigh of the waves outside. Nerissa sat in the softly lit living room, Alexander asleep in her arms, his tiny breaths warm against her skin. The stillness was fragile, a delicate cocoon she wished could last forever.
Then her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen, her chest tightening at the name that flashed there—Drake. For a heartbeat, she considered letting it ring, but something in her heart urged her to answer.
His voice spilled through the line, raw and trembling. "Nerissa… please… come home." The words weren't just spoken—they were pulled from the depths of desperation. "I can't—" His voice cracked, the sound of a man fraying at the edges. "I can't do this without you. Please… please, just come back."
Nerissa closed her eyes, her fingers tightening around the phone. She could almost see him—alone in their London flat, drowning in emptiness. She swallowed hard, torn between the sanctuary she had found here and the plea of the man who had stood by her through her darkest days.
But in the end, all she could do was listen. Listen to his brokenness, his longing, his need. And in the silence that followed, her heart ached in ways she could not yet put into words.
The line was quiet for a moment, save for the faint hitch of Drake's breathing. Nerissa took a deep breath, her voice soft but steady.
Nerissa: "Drake… thank you. For everything you've done—for me, for Alexander. I'll never forget it."
There was a pause on the other end, and when he finally spoke, his voice was strained.
Drake: "Don't say it like that… like you're saying goodbye. I just… I just want you both safe. Tell me you'll come back."
She closed her eyes, her heart tightening.
Nerissa: "Don't worry about us. We're safe here. That's all you need to know right now."
Drake: "Safe isn't the same without you here."
Her throat ached, and she had to blink back tears.
Nerissa: "I know… but please, don't worry yourself sick. You've already done more for us than I could ever repay. I just… I need you to trust me on this."
The silence that followed was heavy, filled with the ache of words they couldn't say.
Drake: "I'll never stop worrying about you."
Nerissa: "And I'll never stop being grateful for you."
She let those words linger, then quietly ended the call, her fingers trembling as she set the phone down.
Nerissa cradled Alexander in her arms, the gentle rhythm of her rocking matching the slow rise and fall of his breathing. She began to hum—a quiet, soothing melody that carried the warmth of home. His little fingers curled around hers, and she bent her head to whisper against his soft hair.
"We're home now, sweetheart," she murmured, her voice tender. "And soon… soon you'll see your dad."
Alexander stirred slightly, a faint smile ghosting across his lips as if he understood. Nerissa's own smile was bittersweet. The thought of that meeting—of George holding his son for the first time—both comforted her and filled her with a quiet ache. For now, she just kept humming, letting the sound wrap them both in a fragile promise of what was to come.
Nerissa carefully laid Alexander down on the bed, her movements slow and deliberate so as not to wake him. She adjusted the blanket around his small body, then placed a pillow at his side—a gentle guard to keep him from rolling off in his sleep. For a moment, she lingered there, watching the steady rise and fall of his tiny chest, the peaceful innocence etched on his face.
Slipping away quietly, she stepped out onto the veranda. The night air greeted her with a soft, salty breeze, carrying with it the distant murmur of the sea. Above, the stars stretched endlessly, scattered like silver dust across the dark sky.
Nerissa wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze fixed on the constellations. Out here, under the same stars she and George had once admired together, memories stirred—of laughter, of whispered dreams, of moments she thought she had lost forever. The waves below whispered against the shore, and for the first time in a long while, she let herself hope.
She stayed there for a long while, letting the sea breeze brush against her skin, her thoughts drifting between the past and the uncertain days ahead. The gentle rhythm of the waves almost lulled her into peace—until the distant hum of an engine broke through the quiet night.
Her heart gave a small jolt.
The sound grew closer, tires crunching softly against the gravel driveway. She turned her head toward the road, the beam of headlights sweeping briefly across the villa's façade before the engine slowed to a stop.
Nerissa's fingers tightened around the veranda railing. Someone had arrived.
Her heart thudded with fear, each beat echoing in her ears as the engine went silent. The night, once calm and still, suddenly felt heavier, as if holding its breath.
She remained frozen on the veranda, her eyes fixed on the driveway. Shadows shifted in the glow of the headlights before they blinked out, leaving only the sound of the car door creaking open.