"Aubrey?"

"Linda. What is it?"

"I don't want to have to tell you this. But someone was just rushed into the emergency room."

"Okay, who?"

"Aubrey, I'm so sorry. it's Lydia."

"Lydia? Oh God. Where is she?"

"She's in room 210," she informs me, and I bolt out the door and down the hall.

"Aubrey, wait. Maybe you shouldn't go in there.

"Thomas, let me in there. I have to see her."

"Aubrey, I swear to you, we did everything we could to save her." His words cut through me like a knife. My tear-filled eyes look up at him, and everything seems to come to a sudden halt.

"No, Thomas. Lydia, she isn't, please no. Where the hell is my daughter?"

"Braylee is with Mateo in the nursery. Some guy brought them here."

"What guy, Thomas?"

"He said he would be in the chapel waiting for you."

"You make damn sure security is with my kids and with Cruz," I shout as I run down the hallway.

"Hello, I was told you would be in here waiting on me."

"Hello, Aubrey. Well, it looks like you have the son you and Cruz wanted. You are his mother."

"Travis. Where the hell did you disappear to? Come on, we have to make damn sure Kendall and her brother don't somehow escape police custody."

"They won't. They're both exactly where they belong. Just like Mateo and Braylee are exactly where they belong. Wow! You helped do what so many law enforcers have spent years trying to do. You got the psycho siblings behind bars and you helped save an innocent life."

"Lydia? She is also innocent, Travis."

"Yes, she is. I am so sorry, Aubrey. I was hoping this time nobody would lose their life. Lydia, died protecting your children."

"So it's my fault my best friend is dead."

"No, Aubrey, it's not your fault. Lydia did what she wanted to do. She chose to protect your kids."

"And how am I supposed to live with myself knowing that?"

"You be the best mother to your kids. Who knows, maybe you will have another little blessing with another child someday," he says as my phone dings. I look down to see it's Linda paging me.

"Travis, I need to go. Travis?" I say as I look around the empty chapel.

"Why does he keep disappearing? I need to get to Cruz.

"Aubrey, hurry, Cruz appears to be waking up."

"Linda, did you see where Travis Daniels went?" I ask, and she comes to a dead halt.

"Travis Daniels, Aubrey?"

"Yes. The former cop who has been hunting Kendall and Ken for years."

"Aubrey, that's impossible. They found Travis Daniels body in his home along with his wife and two children more than a decade ago. They believe it was a woman he had an affair with," she informs me. I gasp, remembering his words.

"Oh God. He said he made the same mistake Cruz made. But it couldn't be Kendall, could it? I'll worry about it later. I have to get to Cruz," I say as I make my way down the hall.

"Aubrey," he says as he looks over at me."

"Cruz. Don't worry about anything. I'm going to make sure our family is safe."

"Did you speak with him, Aubrey?"

"Did I speak with who, Cruz?"

"Travis. He said everything will be okay as long as we have each other."

"He came to you, too? I pray he's right. I just can't shake this feeling this is far from being over. But I know we have to stay together. Our kids need both of us."

"I love you, Aubrey. Does this mean you're willing to be Mateo's mother?" He asks me. I climb beside him and press my lips on his.

"I love you too, Cruz. I am Mateo's mother. I kind of signed his birth certificate. He's now Mateo Lucas."

"Lucas, why did you choose that name, Aubrey."

"It's where I became his mother."

"Aubrey. We have to make sure we protect our family at all times."

"Don't worry, Cruz. I will make damn sure we protect our family. I also want to find out more about Travis. He said Kendall destroyed more than one family. She can never be set free." 

"I agree with you, Aubrey. We have to make damn sure Kendall and Ken will never be set free. I heard what Kendall did to Lydia. We will not allow them to hurt anyone else."

"You got that right, Cruz. I will dedicate my life making damn sure neither of them will ever hurt anyone else."

"We have to make sure Kendall can never get near Mateo."

"She won't. I really think we need to make sure she can never have any rights to him. I want to adopt him, Cruz."

"That's a good idea. I love you so much, Aubrey."

"I love you too, Cruz." 

This brings book 1 to an end. Stay tuned for book 2. We will also learn more about Travis, Kendall, Aubrey and Cruz. 

RIP Lydia and Travis.