CHAPTER 71 — “The Cabin in the Mountains”

Sophie’s POV

The cabin emerged through the trees like something out of a dream—warm cedar wood, stone steps leading to a wraparound porch, and huge windows that caught the morning sun and glittered like amber.

Aria gasped.

Arianna covered her mouth with both hands.

Arian whispered, eyes wide, “Is this… ours?”

Lucian smiled faintly. “For the next two weeks, yes.”

Two weeks.

Two whole weeks of peace.

The idea felt unreal.

The girls tumbled out of the car before we had even unpacked. Cassian stepped out from his truck, stretching dramatically.

“Welcome to paradise,” he declared.

Adrian got out silently but walked straight toward the house, checking the locks, the windows, the perimeter—more out of habit than fear. My father watched him with a soft smile.

“He’s thorough,” Dad said.

“He always is,” Lucian replied.

My father gave a small nod. “Good man to have on a trip.”

I stepped up to the porch and touched the railing. It was solid, smooth beneath my fingers, warmed by sunlight.

And for the first time in a long time…

I felt like I could breathe freely.

The air tasted different up here—pine and crisp wind and something soft and sweet, like wildflowers.

Lucian came up behind me, placing a warm hand at the small of my back. “You like it?”

“I love it,” I murmured.

“Good. I wanted a place where you’d feel… untouched by anything.”

Untouched.

Unburdened.

Unhaunted.

I nodded, blinking a little too quickly.

He didn’t say a word, just brushed his thumb gently against my spine—quiet comfort, quiet understanding.

Cassian clapped his hands loudly. “Alright, troops! Let’s show the house who’s boss.”

Arian, naturally, saluted.

Arianna followed.

Aria looked serious about it.

Lucian groaned. “Cass…”

Cassian shrugged. “They’re my nieces. I’m building character.”

“And chaos,” Lucian muttered.

I laughed, linking my arm through his. “Come on. Let’s explore.”

Stepping inside the cabin felt like walking into a warm embrace.

Polished wooden floors.

Thick rugs.

Stone fireplace.

A long dining table big enough for all of us.

A living room sunk into the floor like a cozy nest, with cushions the size of small clouds.

The girls ran through each room screaming in delighted chaos.

“THIS ONE!”

“NO, THIS ONE!”

“THIS ONE HAS A WINDOW SEAT, I WANT IT!”

Cassian leaned in. “Should we tell them there’s a loft?”

Lucian glared at him. “Why would you say that aloud?”

Too late.

Arian shrieked, “LOFT?!”

Arianna screamed.

Aria dropped to her knees dramatically and said, “DESTINY.”

Cassian winked at me. “I do what I can.”

My father wandered quietly through the living room, stopping at the fireplace. He touched the mantel delicately, as if remembering something. Or perhaps imagining something new.

“It’s peaceful here,” he whispered.

“It is,” I agreed.

“I haven’t felt that in a long time.” He paused. “Thank you for letting me come.”

I hugged him, and he hugged back harder than I expected.

“You’re family,” I said softly. “I wouldn’t ever leave you behind.”

He nodded, swallowing

His eyes glistened—but he didn’t turn away. He’d stopped hiding.

This trip was good for all of us already.

The loft was chaos.

By the time Lucian, Cassian, and I climbed the ladder, we found:

Aria sitting on a beanbag chair like a queen on a throne

Arianna hoarding pillows defensively

Arian attempting to hang a blanket off a beam to “claim territory”

Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose.

“This is a mutiny.”

Cassian corrected him. “No, this is teamwork. They’re establishing zones.”

Arian pointed. “Uncle Cass gets it!”

Aria whispered loudly, “Uncle Adrian would pick my territory.”

Adrian—who had silently climbed up behind us—said flatly, “I pick the territory with the least noise.”

All three girls gasped.

“That’s not ours,” they said in perfect unison.

Cassian whispered to me, “They fear him.”

“They respect him,” Lucian corrected.

Adrian raised a brow. “Both.”

I laughed helplessly.

Finally, we arranged the loft with everyone’s input:

Three little beds in a row

Window seat with blankets

Fairy lights Cassian brought

A chalkboard Adrian found

Stuffed animals I had packed secretly

Aria hugged her stuffed rabbit.

Arian did a victory dance.

Arianna asked if we could sleep here all together tonight.

Lucian smirked. “All of us won’t fit.”

Cassian crossed his arms. “Challenge accepted.”

“No,” Lucian said immediately.

Dinner was simple—pasta, roasted vegetables, garlic bread. But shared at the long table, with the fireplace crackling and the mountain wind brushing against the windows, it tasted like comfort itself.

The girls talked endlessly:

What they found in the yard

How tall the trees were

How many squirrels lived nearby

Whether or not bears liked spaghetti

Cassian answered every question with complete seriousness.

Adrian corrected every inaccurate detail.

Lucian watched all of us with quiet warmth in his eyes.

My father laughed more in that hour than he had in months.

After dinner, Cassian pulled out his guitar.

Soft strumming filled the cabin.

Aria curled against my side.

Arianna lay with her head in my lap.

Arian sat on the rug, swaying dramatically to the melody.

Cassian sang something gentle, something nostalgic, something that made the entire room soften.

Lucian sat beside me, his hand resting on my thigh. Not possessive. Just present.

Adrian sat across from us, leaning against the wall, eyes half closed—not tired, just peaceful.

My father closed his eyes fully, letting the music wash over him.

And I…

I felt my chest ache with emotion.

This—this moment—was something I didn’t know I’d ever have.

Something I didn’t think I deserved.

Something I had feared too fragile to touch.

Family.

Warmth.

Belonging.

Safety.

I covered Lucian’s hand with mine.

He looked at me.

And in his eyes, I saw softness I hadn’t seen before.

“You okay?” he whispered.

I nodded. “More than okay.”

His thumb stroked the inside of my wrist.

“You look like you’re thinking a lot,” he murmured.

“I am.”

“About?”

“All of you. All of this. How… right it feels.”

Lucian’s expression changed—warmth deepened, tenderness sharpened.

“Soph,” he whispered, leaning closer. “We’re right here. We’re not going anywhere.”

I swallowed hard. “I know. I just can’t believe it sometimes.”

He kissed my hand, slow and deliberate.

“Then I’ll remind you. Every day.”

My heart melted.

When Cassian’s songs turned softer, the girls started to nod off one by one.

Arian was first—out like a candle flame, sprawled across the rug.

Adrian carried her upstairs with the gentleness of a man holding something sacred.

Aria fell asleep against my arm.

Lucian picked her up carefully, brushing her curls from her forehead.

Arianna held on the longest, determined, eyes fluttering stubbornly.

Cassian whispered, “Hey sweetheart… guess what?”

She blinked. “What?”

He booped her nose gently. “It’s bedtime.”

She groaned. “Noooooo.”

But ten seconds later she was asleep in his arms.

Up in the loft, we tucked them into their beds, kissed their foreheads, and covered them with soft blankets.

Fairy lights glowed overhead like tiny stars.

Arian snored loudly.

Aria hugged her rabbit.

Arianna curled into a tiny ball.

I stood there for a long time, hand pressed to my heart.

Lucian wrapped an arm around my waist and whispered into my hair—

“They’re safe.”

I nodded, tears pricking.

“They’re happy.”

“Yes,” I whispered, voice thick.

“And you,” he murmured, lifting my chin lightly, “are allowed to be happy too.”

I kissed him before I even realized I had moved.

A slow kiss.

Warm.

Soft.

Full of gratitude and longing all at once.

He kissed me back with equal tenderness, hands cupping my face, forehead touching mine when we parted.

“Come downstairs,” he whispered. “Fire’s still warm.”

I nodded.

We descended the ladder quietly, leaving the fairy-lit loft behind us like a small, glowing world of dreams.

The men were still awake by the fire.

Cassian strummed soft chords.

Adrian was reading.

My father had a mug of tea in his hands.

Lucian pulled me gently into his lap on the couch.

I melted against him.

The warmth of the fire.

The quiet hum of the guitar.

The steady presence of family.

It wrapped around me like a blanket.

No fear.

No shadows.

No tension waiting to snap.

Just peace.

My father looked at me, eyes soft. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “For letting me be part of this.”

I smiled. “You’ll always be part of this.”

Adrian’s voice drifted from his chair. “Good. This family is exactly the kind you don’t walk away from.”

Cassian added, still strumming, “Yeah. We’re kind of addictive.”

I laughed softly.

Lucian pressed a kiss into my hair.

And in that moment…

I felt something settle inside me.

Something warm.

Something steady.

Something that whispered:

You’re home.