Additional chapter

10 Years Later Snapshot

FREYA’S POV

Ten years. Ten chaotic, beautiful, loud, sometimes infuriating years, and somehow, I’m still laughing. Sionna, now a whirlwind of a ten-year-old, is zooming across the living room on a scooter while Viktor, our clever little fox in the making, tries to “teach” her manners. Alan is muttering something about insurance claims if she crashes into the TV again. I just laugh, because really… what is life without a little risk and noise?

I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the window and almost don’t recognize myself. Not the face...my face is mine...but the light in my eyes. The freedom. The weightlessness. I feel light. I feel full. I feel exactly where I’m supposed to be. And yes, my hair is messy, my socks don’t match, and there’s half a pancake stuck to my shirt from breakfast, but I wouldn’t trade it for all the calm mornings in the world.

Alan is calling me from the kitchen: “Honey, help Viktor! He’s convincing Sionna that broccoli is a treasure map!”

I roll my eyes and laugh. “If she finds the treasure, it’s chocolate, Alan. Don’t lie to the children!”

And that’s life. Loud. Funny. Stubborn. Beautiful. Perfect. I have everything I’ve ever wanted, and I want nothing else.

ELIZA’S POV

I never thought I’d be the person who could laugh like this...screaming with delight as Viktor flips off the couch, arguing over who ate the last cookie, watching Freya trip over Sionna’s backpack...but here I am. Happier than I ever imagined possible. And Viktor, my little prince, is the cherry on top. Watching him grow, listening to his clever, relentless chatter, feeling him hug me tight every morning… it’s enough to make even the hardest of days vanish.

And yes, I still have scars. I’m still Eliza, the chaotic, slightly insane, extremely emotional tornado of a woman who almost lost herself a thousand times. But I’ve learned that happiness doesn’t erase the past...it just makes it less heavy. It makes you laugh at it, cry at it, and then finally… let it go.

I glance over at Lucien, who’s doing something ridiculous with the kids...trying to make Sionna wear a crown while telling Viktor he’s the king of “the garden”...and I feel this warm, unstoppable love. That messy, loud, ridiculous love that is ours. And I know, deep down, that happiness is real. Not the fake kind you see in movies, but this...the chaos, the laughter, the tears, the small victories, the loud hugs. This is what real happiness looks like.

ALAN’S POV

Ten years later, and I still can’t believe it. I fought for her, and every impossible, ridiculous risk I took… paid off. Freya, my perfect whirlwind, my laugh-machine, my firecracker, is here, and I am ridiculously in love every single day.

Sionna and Viktor are growing up right in front of me...loud, bright, smart, and impossibly stubborn...but every little tantrum, every spilled cereal, every missing shoe… it’s all perfect. I am their dad, their chaos navigator, their bedtime story hero, their everything. And Freya? She’s still light, still untouchable, still mine in every way that matters.

I watch her laugh as Sionna zooms past with Viktor in hot pursuit and think, Yep. This is it. This is life. I want nothing else. Nothing. And I also think, Man, I hope they never get taller than me… because I swear, I will cry.

The little things… the small, messy, ridiculous moments… those are the moments I live for. That’s my happiness. That’s our family. And yes, I’ll probably cry a little when they graduate, but for now, I’ll enjoy the chaos.

LUCIEN’S POV

Ten years in, and I’m still learning. Still falling. Still loving. Still in awe of Eliza, who has become this incredible, unstoppable, messy, beautiful force of nature. She’s taught me that love isn’t just passion...it’s presence. It’s showing up for every meal, every tantrum, every spilled cup, every late-night tear.

And Viktor… my little prince, my son, my responsibility, my joy… he’s a reflection of everything I never knew I wanted, and now can’t imagine life without. Watching him boss his sister around, watching him grow, laughing at his clever jokes… it’s enough to make me weep quietly into my coffee.

Eliza and I have built a life I never thought I deserved, full of laughter, chaos, mistakes, and learning. We’ve survived everything: lies, fear, mistakes, heartbreak, and somehow… we came out stronger, crazier, and more in love than ever.

I glance at Freya and Alan, our friends-turned-family-turned-extended-anchors in this beautiful storm, and think, Yep. This is it. This is happiness. This is life.

And Viktor? Oh, Viktor is already plotting world domination, and I have no idea how to stop him...but I’ll try. And if I fail, at least I’ll be laughing along with him.

A FINAL WORD ABOUT HAPPINESS

Happiness isn’t neat. It isn’t perfect. It’s spilled cereal, mismatched socks, sticky fingerprints, toddlers running wild, kids arguing over the last cookie, parents tripping over backpacks, laughter echoing through chaos.

Happiness is the quiet when everyone finally sleeps, the soft gaze when someone you love looks at you, the chaos that becomes beautiful because you survived it together.

Happiness isn’t about perfection. It’s about surviving the storm, holding your people close, and laughing at the ridiculous, messy, unstoppable ride called life.

And maybe, just maybe, if you fight for it, trust it, and hold it with all your messy, chaotic, beating heart… it’s yours. Forever.

Because this...our chaos, our love, our family...is exacly what it’s supposed to be.