Epilogue

As I stood there, my heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, I noticed them – my foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, and my long-lost brother, Henry, standing among the crowd. It had been years since I last saw them, and I never imagined I would reunite with them under these circumstances. But there they were, their faces etched with a blend of emotions, just like mine.

As I reached them, my foster mother, Mrs. Brooks, was the first to react. Her eyes welled up with tears, and before I knew it, she was in my arms, hugging me tightly. "Veronica, my dear girl," she choked out, her voice trembling with emotion. "We never stopped thinking about you, never stopped loving you. We're so sorry for what happened."

Tears welled up in my eyes too, but I quickly blinked them away. "I know, Mom," I whispered, using the title that had always felt right for her. "I understand. Life had its way of pulling us apart, but I'm here now, and that's what matters."

My foster father, Mr