"I'm proud of you, Little Flame."Eli said gently combing my hair.

As soon as I walked upstairs and Landon went into Elysium's room to spend time with him, Eli carried me to the bathroom and ran a warm shower that made me feel completely soothed. He let me soak in the warm water for a while and went to take care of dinner. But he still occasionally came to check on me in between. He even lavered my hair with shampoo and massaged my scalp gently, taking utmost care of me afterwards.

Instead of letting me do anything, in pure Eli fashion, he proceeded to dress me up in his comfiest hoodie and a pair of shorts. He didn't let me out of his sight at all but instead made me sit on a stool while he applied ointment to my bruise and assessed me with the seriousness of a doctor, asking me questions that I wasn't even sure I understood. He then dried my hair with gentle hands and tender touches.

Even now as he combed my hair, his pitch black eyes remained gentle and soft. I stared at him through the mirror wondering how come I got this lucky? How come I got the opportunity to meet such a wonderful caring man? There was no doubt in my mind that Eli Castillo was it for me. No other man could ever be my husband.

"What are you thinking?"Eli asked in a deep husky voice.

"A wedding ring on your finger" I said, biting back my smile as he paused, eyes widening.

He stared back at me through the mirror, an adorable soft pink hue blooming across his cheeks. "Come again?"

"I want you to be my husband, Eli. Maybe not today or tomorrow but soon. I want us to have the life we always wanted but never dared to dream of until now" I said watching as his eyes flickered with longing, affection, hope, adoration and so much reverence I was breathless.

He rounded the stool and kneeled in front of me. Hands holding mine, he stared into my eyes with a soft gaze filled with love. "I would love nothing more than to be yours, to be called your husband, to wake up everyday next to you and sleep every night with you in my arms, to raise Elysium together. You and I. Landon and Agnus by our side"

I held his hands and intertwined our fingers together. "We will have that life. There's nothing holding us back now"

"Nothing. No bridge to cross. No barriers. Just you and me. When Landon feels better, we will go together to my parent's house and leave the guild for good. After that, we can finally build the life we wanted. Just tell me, my little Flame. Where do you want to go?"Eli asked, eyes shining with devotion.

I smiled softly. "I liked it here. Your safe house was where we truly got closer and embraced our bond. But I would like to travel, go to places with you. Visit new places, discover new cultures. And enjoy what life has to offer"

"Peaceful morning breakfasts together, late night dancing in the kitchen, sunbathing at the beach, going to amusement parks with Elysium, hiking with Landon and Agnus complaining about it all. Yeah it sounds perfect" Eli said, a breathtaking smile appearing on his face.

I could imagine all that and it filled me with so much hope, I wanted to thank God day and night for giving me the opportunity to live. For having given me the opportunity to free myself of Kyron.

A soft laugh escaped my lips as Eli lifted me up in his arms, carrying me to bed. "Right now though, you need rest. Days of rest. Just stay here and let me take care of the rest" He said gently, placing me on the bed with a soft kiss on my forehead before leaving the room.

Elysium's head poked in just a few seconds after "Mamá, how are you feeling?"He asked, his fingertips smudged with colours.

"I'm alright, my precious boy. Come here, what's on your hands?"I asked, laughing as he gave me a smug grin.

"I coloured Tío(Uncle) Landon's face with my markers and acrylic paint, he's currently in the shower trying to scrub it all off" Elysium said proudly, wiping his hands clean with a wipe.

I chuckled as he hopped on the bed and sat cross legged. "Picasso would be proud, or maybe he would call the police."

Landon walked in right on cue. A scoff escaping him. "When you said it would be a masterpiece, I certainly misunderstood. By masterpiece you clearly meant crime against canvas"

"I told you to not look in the mirror and to just trust my artistic skills. You're the one who looked. And really I was going for the tiger look but I guess your face decided gnome looked better on it. It's not my fault, Tío(Uncle) Landon." Elysium said cheekily.

Landon huffed, his wet hair messy but his grey eyes looked soft and lighter now after the shower. Dressed in a simple pair of black trousers and a black t-shirt, he looked cozy. Peaceful. Exactly what I wanted for him. He sat on the edge of the bed and ruffled Elysium's hair. "It took so much soap to get it off but I would go through it anytime, for you Mi sobrino(My nephew)"

Elysium beamed. "See, a little soap and therapy is all you need to get better"

Both Landon and I snorted in laughter making Eli shake his head at us as he walked in with deliciously steaming hot tamales. "Enough all of you, it's time for dinner"

The moment he sat next to me, I grabbed one and bit into the flavourful crispy dough filled with meat and just the right amount of cheese. Groans of pure delight filled the room as Landon and Elysium dug into their food. Nothing better than delicious tamales after a near death experience.

"Papá, seriously God bless your hands. You cook like a 5 star chef. No scratch that, that's 10 stars." Elysium said around a mouthful of tamales.

Eli's rich deep laughter filled the room. "Eat your fill, there's more downstairs. But I made Crema Catalana for dessert so keep some place for it mhm"

(Crema Catalana is a creamy citrus-and-cinnamon custard with a hard burnt-sugar crust.)

Elysium's eyes shone with happiness. He immediately got up and rushed downstairs. "No wayyy that's one of my favourites!!"His voice echoed all over the mansion making Landon smile.

Eli and I exchanged a look. A silent communication passing between us. Everything would be okay. Landon would be fine and Elysium, our bundle of sunshine might be just the light Landon needed all along the way to keep going.

God.. Keep us together, always.