Five years later...

The wind was rustling my hair gently after parking the car in the drive and stepping outside. I took a walk over to the front garden and looked out to the scenery in front of me. I smiled. Like I always did now. 

Work had been tiring but in a good way. I didn't need the money yet I liked keeping busy and having at least some sort of steady income. It wasn't like what I did could ever be as strenuous as my previous employment situation. Or as messy. 

The sky was a gorgeous clear blue this mid-evening. My front garden was small and insignificant but the house sat on a small ridge, overlooking the rolling green hills that made this view so special. The busy splendour of the Californian coast had been all but forgotten here. There wasn't a palm tree in sight, nor a spec of blood. Everything was clear. 

Any hints of the city had disappeared too. My house was a quaint cottage in the middle of the Lake District, with the closest town about ten minutes away, and instead of bars and nightclubs there were forests and fields surrounding us. 

I had come back to England. My dreams had come true. I was home. Paradise wasn't an unreachable fantasy anymore. 

The yellowing of the trees told me that Autumn was here. They looked stunning against the setting sun, which was slowly sinking behind the gloriously clear sky. I started to smile even more. I had no reason to fear nightfall any longer. I was free. 

But the past five years had taught me that there was more to life than the simple freedom I'd yearned for. It was important for sure- I would never, ever renounce it- but what really mattered was what you chose to do with it. And for the first time in my life, I was proud of the decisions I had made. I finally felt peace. Peace with myself. 

I heard the front door open from behind me and my smile turned into a full on grin as I turned around. I couldn't take all the credit. There was another big reason for my inner tranquillity. 

"Mrs Axon," I said proudly, taking Carmen into my arms and kissing her softly. I squatted down until I was eye level with her stomach and kissed the maternal bump. "And how's my little man?"

"Active," she laughed shyly. "He kicked me in the bath today." 

I chuckled. "As long as you're healthy, I don't mind you being violent." 

She rolled her eyes but she couldn't take the smile from off her face. "That's easy for you to say." 

I stood up again and took her back into my arms, holding her close to my chest as I positively beamed at the woman in front of me. I never thought I would be able to have a child, let alone be able to watch it grow up, and yet here I was living my fantasy. I was so blessed. 

The past few years hadn't been a completely smooth ride. I had a lot of personal demons to exorcise and I had to face the emotions I'd been running from for so many years. But the things in my life had kept me anchored, had kept me safe, had kept me from giving into temptation, and now I had the opportunity to live the reasonably normal life I'd always wanted. Now I had the chance to be happy. 

And I was happy. There was no darkness any longer. I was in the light. 

I knew that I owed it all to God. When He chose to save me that day and let my demonic half die, He gave me the opportunity to be free. And He continued to gift me with blessing after blessing when I had done nothing to deserve it. He made me feel treasured. Important. Lucky. A chosen son. 

I couldn't express my gratitude enough. This life is everything that I ever wanted. Who knew it would come from the being I used to see as an enemy rather than the all-loving father I saw him as now. 

I sent him a silent prayer of thankfulness and kissed Carmen again. I still couldn't keep my hands off her even now, hence the arrival of the baby, and I didn't think that would ever change. I was glad she'd stuck with me through all my crap too. 

I glanced at the sky again for another glimpse of beauty, and the setting sun had almost sunk beneath its cloudless depths. Nature only had two minutes left of light.

But because of God, I had twenty four hours of it seven days a week. There was no demon in me to take it away anymore. 

I was finally free.