10 years later...

Mariana came walking out of her house, being led by the tiny hand of her youngest son, Luca. With her other, a long water hose trailed behind. The sun beamed down with a happy smile, signaling a brightening day as the neighbors outside were sunbathing and drinking lemonade.

She first went to her flower patch. She settled her nose in the kissing petals of the scarlet roses, their sweet scent tickling her nose like a feather. She chuckled lightly and stood up to spray them with water. They swayed as if singing sweet songs while Luca shot some nets with his basketball. He laughed in the background which was like music to her ears.

She had finally got the life she wanted. Her family safe, no more running, no one chasing after her. The taste of freedom felt good in her life, like cold running water on a simmering, summer day. And the therapy she had begun also provided relief and peace of mind to deal with her trauma.

She and Micah had another boy a few months after returning to LA, and two more when they moved to a quieter place. Elisa and Axel, now preteens, were hanging out with their cousins who came down to visit.

Since the kidnapping case was resolved, she got to see the revival of Micah's relationship with his father and brother. They even met Mason's family, including his daughter, Lydia, who was around the same age as Axel. From then, they visited each other's families regularly, making their children closer than they had ever been.

Mariana looked over their fence and she saw a boy riding his bike. His dog chased him as he tried popping the red balloon the boy held in his hand. She started laughing which came from the happiness beaming in her heart as they looked quite silly.

Sometimes Micah would do stuff like that with their other two sons, Luis and Angelo. Right now they were inside watching TV, but sometimes they would go out on the field to blow bubbles or chase each other.

Mariana finished with the roses and patted the soil. She moved on to her iris flowers that flourished with the deepest purple that looked made for royalty. She got more soil from a bag and placed it around the stems. She didn't think she would get into gardening, but growing her garden was fun. It was also therapeutic for her to see all the beautiful colors in her yard. Her therapist was even the one that recommended it.

She kept fishing soil out generously and came across her jade plants. She shuddered as her mind thought of Mona and her piercing green eyes. She heard that after completing her prison sentence, she returned to Romania with her children. But that's all she found out. Now she was just a mystery, just as she first entered her life and now going out.

She frowned as those years were probably the wildest ones in her life. She was thrown into adulthood and ended up in a whirlpool of trials and tribulations. All of which shaped who she was today.

She would never forget the pain of losing her father and a few months later, losing her mother and siblings too. She would never forget the dreadful and frightening night when her whole life was about to be flipped and changed forever. Although Xavier had ruined and taken away everything she knew, she had met Micah. Her special blessing.

The very first time he spoke to her, she would have never dreamt that they would be where they are now. She had never planned on falling in love, but she was so glad she did. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had this wonderful life together.

She remembered the sheer awkwardness she felt when Micah held her hand for the first time as they escaped together. The pounding of her heart each step they took closer to the exit, with Xavier lurking at every corner. She took such a great leap of faith, being blind to the outcome. But it was the best decision she had ever made.

Their stay in Majorca was one of the best experiences in her life. Apart from death knocking at her door, it was fun getting to know Micah. With all the tingling touches, the blushing smiles, the secret glances. Just thinking about it brought the butterflies back into her stomach. They fluttered like the moment Micah first laid his lips on her. It wasn't her first but might as well have been since it was the most perfect kiss.

She caressed her cheek with one finger. She smiled and felt her chest warm with embarrassment. She remembered the warm sun rays affectionally licking their skin as their lips tasted each other.

Their hearts beat in sync with the chittering birds. In the middle of her darkened and confusing world, that kiss made it briefly stop and calmed it with perfect harmony. Her pulsating fear of Xavier halted when he pulled her closer. For once, she felt like everything had fallen perfectly in place like a jigsaw puzzle.

He always knew how to calm her down when she was feeling fearful. All it took was a brush of his hand or a snuggle in his arms, and her nerves would be immediately settled. When they cuddled, she felt like a caterpillar safe in their cocoon.

He was the only one she could fully trust and the only one for her. He definitely proved that when Electra came into the picture. She scowled as she hated that witch and her crafty acts. How she slithered into their lives and accused her dear Micah of cheating with that disgusting old photo. It broke her to pieces thinking she wasn't enough for him. But those feelings got swept away when they made up after their breakup. After that, she was certain nothing could ever become between them again.

Mariana sat up and grinned as the sun melted onto her back. She felt so happy and snug with herself that she wanted to bounce up and cry out with joy. She felt like she was in a Disney movie, wanting to burst out in song while dancing around. But she won't do that right now.

She turned and Luca was now playing with his bat and hitting a ball that dangled on a string. She turned the hose and squirted him with water. He screamed and his body fell to the grass.

"Oh I'm sorry my bambino, are you okay?" She asked. She got up and went to him. She never meant to knock him over. But he bounced right back on his feet.

"I'm okay!" He exclaimed and went back to kicking his ball. Mariana chuckled and chased him around with the hose. She kept spraying his back to hear him squeal as his little feet carried him away. He then picked up his ball and turned to face her.

"Mommy, can we play catch?"

"Okay, my baby," Mariana said. She took a few steps back so there was a good distance between them. Luca bounced the ball to her and she caught it. She bounced it back and it hit the tree behind so he ran to get it.

Mariana laughed as she saw his little figure running towards it. She shielded her eyes from the sun. It was indeed a beautiful day and perfect for playing games like this.

"Mommy," Luca said, coming back to his spot.

"Yes, honey?"

"Can Jake come and play tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that's fine with me. When I pick you up, I'll talk to Jake's mom after school to see if it's okay with her."

"Thanks, Mommy!" He cheered and bounced the ball to her.

Mariana smiled as they continued playing catch. She was glad her kids were able to make meaningful friends they can enjoy. Because of her getting hurt by multiple people, she decided to keep her circle small. She mainly talked to Micah's sisters, Leilani, and her past co-workers such as Elena and Nina.

She wished she had the courage to make new friends but she was too scared. After getting mixed up with Mona and Xavier, she found it even harder to trust anyone. Having the ingrained fear that if she gets too close, it will muck up her life by having some connection to Xavier.

She scrunched her face as she caught the ball before it hit her nose. She hated how even in death, Xavier managed to make her life miserable.

But her grin returned and her face slowly relaxed as she exhaled. She was no longer around anyone connected to him. Mona was gone, Electra was dead, it was like a dream come true.

When Luca threw the ball to her. This time, instead of returning it back, she held onto it and grabbed her hose. "Come on Luca, let's go inside now."

"Okay, Mommy!" Luca quickly ran by her side and grabbed her arm. Mariana opened the door and let him run inside the living room. She followed him and they saw Micah on the couch. Luis spread out on his leg, and Micah flung Angelo into the air.

"Hi, Mom!" Luis waved while his arm slung over the couch. His eyes were on Thomas and friends playing on TV.

"Hi, my little Prince." She bent down and kissed his forehead. "Are you enjoying your program?"

He nodded as Mariana ruffled his hair and kissed his chin. She got back up and caught Angelo before Micah. She kissed his cheeks and settled him on the carpet next to Luca. She then sat down on Micah's lap, making herself comfortable.

"Hi!" She said innocently and whipped her head around.

"Mariana, why did you have to replace Angelo like that," Micah said while chuckling. He pointed to their son who was still on the floor with a pout.

"Sorry." She blushed. "I just want you to myself for a few minutes." She started twiddling with her fingers.

"Haha, alright. Let me just sit up."

Mariana and Luis got up so Micah swung his legs down. They returned to the couch but Mariana climbed into his arms. She pulled in his face and kissed him sweetly.

"I love you so much Micah," she murmured. Her brown eyes glistened as she stared into the mesmerizing hazel eyes whose heart hers belonged to.

"I love you too Mari." He bobbed her nose as he held her waist securely. She returned her lips to his because she didn't want to let go. She kept pressing kissed while caressing his face. Every tear shed, every drop of blood spilled, and every scream of frustration all came to this. Through thick and thin they have been. They sailed through the waves of turmoil and pain, learning how to grow, love, accept, and forgive.

But no matter what obstacles were thrown at them, they still had each other. He had her and she had him. And through their sufferings, he certainly became her everything. He became her all.

A/N: And that's the end of Mariana and Micah! Thank you so for sticking with me and for reading my first trilogy. I gotta say I am very proud of it. Imma write a proper author's note later on but for now, I'm gonna give you guys three bonus chapters and an announcement of a new book coming after this 😁😁😁.