Mia

Eight years later

"Archer, do you even know how to steer this thing?"

I can barely see him through the body that blocks him, tangled golden-brown hair that covers his face. She sits on his lap, on his good leg, dangling her legs as her wandering eyes shine and genuine smile radiates.

Our daughter.

Well, we have two daughters, Archer and I. It was only a year after Evelyn died that Archer asked me to marry him. Then Mabel came along. And after two years, we had Gracie. Mabel is already four, while Gracie is two.

"Don't underestimate me," Archer peeks his head over so his bright green eyes dig into mine, "I'm a professional."

"But you said you've never been on a boat before!"

Archer squeezes Mabel's arm playfully. "Shh! We were supposed to keep that a top secret!"

"The secrets out, now." I smile, although I knew Archer has never driven a boat, let alone been on one. Archer drives the pontoon slowly on the lake, letting Mabel put her hands on the wheel to steer, but Mia notices his knee doing the real steering. Gracie sits on my lap, her dark hair just like Archer's, along with her sharp jawline. She does have my eyes, while Mabel's are a faded green.

The girls look around in fascination, their heads turning all around them at the immense body of water. We decided to rent a pontoon for the weekend, a little surprise for the girls. Plus, it's scorching hot this weekend, and Archer and I decided a swim would be nice.

"Okay girls, we have the whole lake. Pick a spot to swim."

"Right here!" Gracie squeaks, and Archer hums a laugh as he stops and turns off the boat, standing up and placing Mabel on the drivers seat. He drops both anchors on the front and back down.

"Five feet," Archer looks at Mia and smiles. With his artificial leg, it's a bit harder to stay afloat in the water. Thankfully, he can stand while the girls still think the water is deep.

Archer quick leans in and kisses me on the lips, and the girls react.

"Ew!"

"I know, isn't that gross?" Archer smiles as he goes over to Mabel and makes sure her lifejacket is secured. He quickly puts a second coat of sunscreen on her while I put more on Gracie. They are giddy, too excited to be in the water.

"Dad, what is there's biting fish in there?" Mabel's second thoughts get to her. Archer and I have noticed an ongoing problem with that. She's tentative, alert, while Gracie is quite the opposite. "Uncle Casper said he got bit once."

"Uncle Casper likes to joke around," I say. The girls call Casper their uncle, although it's not true. Casper lived, despite that bullet wound he received from Abby. Years later, him and another girl ended up marrying, although they haven't decided on kids yet. Adam is also like an uncle to the girls, and him and Archer are truly best friends now. Dana has moved hours away, starting her own arts and crafts business, which Mia never knew that was her hobby.

And Tami? Well, it's complicated. I don't let the girls see her, only because I don't want them to see me having flashbacks or bursts of anger. She's doing well, though, and I would like to say I'm forgiving well.

But things take time.

"Alright, I'll go in first and check for you, how's that?" Archer pats Mabel before he stands up and lifts his shirt off his head, revealing the life he's had. Scars paint his body, fading into pink lines over the years, but they are still very well present.

"Owie's," Gracie points at Archer, her eyes on the jagged lines of his body.

"Yup, those are owie's," I reassure her. We haven't told the girls our story, and it will probably be awhile till we do. But even Mabel has already questioned a lot of things; Archer's scars, his panic attacks, and my nightmares. But they don't know yet, and one day, we will end up telling them. Telling them how I met Archer, how we escaped, how we survived, how my best friend betrayed me, how Archer survived his captivity, all of it. Years of therapy have helped Archer and I, and after some time it was easier for Archer to share his horrid stories. He eventually told them all to me; all the things he went through, all the hurt and torture, and we cried together. For so long we cried together, reminiscing our pain.

But we went through all sorts of therapy, preparing ourselves for children, wondering if we could ever have children. We did. And I must say, Archer is one magnificent father. At first, he was unsure about having a girl, then another girl. But the protection he gives them is priceless, and the love he has for them is infinite.

"A lot of owie's, but they don't hurt anymore." Archer slides out of the pontoon, carefully standing himself on the mushy sand. He looks up at Mabel and smiles. "See, nothing to worry-oh, wait, oh no! Ouch, a fish!"

Archer lowers himself into the water like he's being dragged down, and Mabel shouts with worry. Soon after, Archers comes back up, whipping his dark hair from his eyes, laughing.

"Dad! Don't do that!"

"He's joking," I say, shooting Archer an irritated look as he only grins in return, "he's being silly like Uncle Casper. There's no biting fish in here."

Mabel carefully walks to the edge, and Archer puts his arms out in front of him. "Jump, Mab!"

"I'm scared." She bites her lip as she glances at the water until resting her fearful eyes on Archer.

"Mab, where's your courage?"

Mabel manages to give Archer a smile as she pretends to dig in her pocket, even though her suit doesn't have one, and flattens her palm over her face as if she's putting the courage on herself. Archer taught her that, and with all the worry she has, it surprisingly works.

"Ah, there it is! Now come in, jump! I'll catch you."

And moments after, Mabel jumps, landing into Archer's arms. He twirls her around, making Mabel laugh uncontrollably. Gracie's head perks up at the sudden laugher and tries to get off my lap.

"Hold on Gracie." I stand up and take off my coverup, and Archer smiles as I pick Gracie up and walk to the edge of the boat.

"You want to jump in too, Gracie?" Archer let's Mabel float by him as he reaches his arms out. Unlike Mabel, she hurdles towards Archer right away, jumping off the boat. I quickly slide in, the water reaching my neck.

The two girls squeal with joy as they float around the water, splashing water with their feet as they kick. Archer draws near me, taking my hand in underwater, squeezing it. I smile at him as his green eyes literally sparkle. He leans towards me, putting his mouth close to my ear.

"If I had to go through everything all over again to end up here, I would do it over and over and over."

I smile because I believe it. I believe that Archer would endure all his torture again just to have me, just to have Mabel and Gracie, just to have this moment.

I lean in and kiss him, the musty smell of lake all over his skin, but I could care less. Because as I think about it, I would go throw it all again too if it meant this was the outcome.

"Gross!"

We release as the girls look at us, and I smile as Archer swims over to them, lifting Gracie up in the air as Mabel clings onto his back.

I remember when we considered ourselves allies and nothing more. I remember when we considered ourselves as friends. I remember when we considered ourselves as lovers.

And now, we considered ourselves as one.

THE END

••••••

Oh my goodness.

Well...

ITS OVER, FOLKS!

This series is finally complete. After a lot of self doubt, not knowing what to write, and all your encourages words, this book is finished.

Thank you thank you thank you for all that you guys have done, from waiting patiently (literally sometimes for months upon months) to encouraging me to keep writing. I am not lying when I say that I would've never finished this series if it wasn't for you all. So, I thank you for that.

I hope you enjoyed the ending! I made things happy for once, which I hope you all liked :)

My next step in my writing is the book I've been working on titled "Her Babies"
It would mean a lot if you checked it out.

Please comment your thoughts on this series!!!! I love to know all your feelings!!

Once again, thank you so much :)