As they embark on this journey, I'm so happy for them. They earned this moment with tears and sacrifices. Wishing you all the very best, dear parents.
EpilogueThree Years LaterâDr. Hart?âAbella turned around to see a nurse hurrying toward her.âThe patient in the NICU is responding to the medication,â the nurse informed her. âCould you check on her?âWithout hesitation, Abella rushed to the NICU, her heart throbbing fast. That morning, the baby girlâs condition had been critical, but now, as she looked into those tiny, bright eyes, she felt a wave of relief.âHey there, sweetheart,â Abella cooed, smiling warmly. âYouâre such a fighter. You fought so hard to be here with your mom and dad.âThe baby stared up at her, and Abellaâs heart melted.âYes, youâre such a strong, big girl,â she whispered, gently touching the babyâs hand.Outside the NICU, the parents expressed their gratitude; their tearful smiles reminded Abella why she had chosen this path. In moments like these, she was reminded of how beautiful it was to help save these little angels. But there were also the heartbreaking days, the ones where some angels didnât make it.
Meanwhile, Kate and Rhys were sitting with Anne.âWhy is Aunt suddenly changing colors?â Rhys asked.âBecause she knows she was wrong and wants back what she lost,â Kate said matter-of-factly.Anne chuckled. âKate, as much as I love your straightforward attitude, Iâd appreciate it if you toned it down in front of Emery. She is⊠well, very touchy and fussy.âKate shrugged. âMIL, I have a complaint. Coco and Sia had a girlsâ day without me! Can you imagine? Iâm trying to be as cool as them, but they left me out!âRhys suppressed a chuckle. âYes, Mom, they left my dear Kate out.âAnne played along. âThatâs terrible, Iâll scold them,ââYes, scold them well,â Kate agreed, then added mischievously, âbut donât tell them I snitched. Just say it was Rhys.âAnne smiled. âAlright, dear.â Then, she glanced at Kate. âI saw you have been spending time with Abella. Howâs that going? I know you two werenât close.âKate sighed. âEveryone coddles her too much. She is living in disillusionment. Coco and
It was a beautiful day that was filled with love, laughter, and cherished memories. Anne and Nicholasâs wedding anniversary had brought the entire family together, and the house was buzzing with warmth and joy.Nicholas turned to Anne as his eyes were soft with affection. âWe have been together for forty years,â he said, a gentle smile on his lips.Anne smiled back, a touch of nostalgia in her gaze. âYes, we made it this far.âLeaning in, Nicholas pressed a tender kiss to her lips. âThank you for giving me the chance to be your husband.âAnneâs voice was barely above a whisper as she responded, âThank you for fighting for us.âJust then, Leon and Coco appeared out of nowhere while wrapping their arms around their parents in a tight hug. âIf anyone deserves the credit, itâs us!â Leon declared with a grin. âWe made sure you two ended up together.âNicholas and Anne exchanged amused glances before nodding. âYes,â Nicholas agreed, âand weâre very thankful for your scheming. Turns out, it w
âDid you match into your preferred branch of residency?â Madam Facci asked, excitement filling her voice.Abella swallowed. âMa, Iâm still checking the results,â she admitted. âIâm scared.ââYou have nothing to be scared of, my dear. Just look,â she heard. With a deep breath, Abella entered her credentials for the residency match. Her eyes darted across the screen as the words appeared before her.âIâŠâ Her voice caught in her throat.âWhat is it?â Madam Facci asked eagerly.âPediatricsâŠâ Abella whispered in disbelief.A joyful gasp came from the other end. âOh my god! I am so happy for you, dear!âAbellaâs chest tightened as she read the rest. âWith NYUâŠâ she murmured. âIf I accept it, I will have to stay in New York.âWas she ready for this?Madam Facciâs voice was warm and reassuring. âWhatever you choose, we are proud of you. Youâve worked hard for this. Donât overthink it, just enjoy this moment. You did it, Abella. Iâm so, so proud of you.âThat evening, the entire family gather
Augustus Hart was born a healthy, chubby baby with a bald head, looking absolutely perfect in every way. His arrival was so sudden that only Callum and Estelle were present at the hospital when her water broke. They barely had time to inform anyone, but Abella rushed over as soon as she found out.The moment Callum stepped out of the delivery room and saw his sister waiting outside, a wave of emotions hit him all at once. Without hesitation, he pulled her into a tight hug.âCongratulations, brother. Iâm so proud of you,â Abella whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek.Callum let out a shaky breath, still overwhelmed. âWhen did you get here?ââJust now,â she said with a smile. âHowâs Estelle?ââTired,â he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. âStill cursing me.âAbella chuckled. âAnd the baby?ââJust perfect,â Callum said, his eyes softening. âCome inside. She is going to be so happy to see you.âWhen Estelle saw Abella, she let out a small gasp before pulling her into a long, tight
After her divorce, Abella didnât leave the country. Cillian had given her a staggering sum in alimony, even going as far as naming half of his assets to her, but she refused to take a single dime. She had her own inheritance. More money than she could ever need. But what could wealth do? It couldnât buy her happiness. It couldnât fill the void in her heart.Cillian knew her too well; he didnât push her to accept anything. He let her go, even when it shattered him.When her mother lived in Italy with Coco and Leon, alongside her uncle Nate, she had bought a beautiful bungalow. It had never been sold, left untouched over the years. When Abella married Cillian, Leon had given her the key to that house as a quiet token of their familyâs past. There were two bungalows beside each other, one where her mother had raised her two older siblings, and the other where her father had stayed, the place where her parents had met and reunited. One had been passed down to Charlotte, the other to Leon.
Cillian stared at her, his throat tightening as he heard the finality in her voice. He had imagined this conversation a thousand different ways, but none of them had prepared him for the calm and almost serene acceptance in her eyes.âAbellaâŠâ He whispered her name like a prayer, like a plea. âCan we please rethink this?âAbella smiled. It was a soft, bittersweet smile that made his chest ache.âCillian, there is nothing to rethink,â she said gently. âAlessandro came to see me. He told me that he was leaving the country with his mother. He said he doesnât want to come between us, that he would be happy if you called him once in a while and only if it was okay with me.â She let out a humorless chuckle. âThatâs too big of a burden for me to carry. I mean, I donât care how you navigate your relationship with your son. But I will give you one piece of advice: donât be a jerk. Donât hurt one more person. You have already hurt me, you have hurt him, and you have hurt his mother. Stop making
Cillian reached for her hand, his grip firm but trembling as well. âAbella, please listen to me. Iâm sorry. I made a mistake by not telling you the truth. Can you please forgive me?â His voice cracked with desperation.She looked at him, her expression unreadable. âI donât know,â she said softly.Cillianâs breath hitched, and he tried again. âPlease, Iâll change. Iâll work on myself. Just give me a chance.â His hands clenched at his sides as if willing himself not to break apart. âI donât want to see you like this, so shattered. You mean so fucking much to me. Please.âBut to Abella, his words felt like echoes in an empty room. They were hollow and weightless. Once upon a time, she had longed to hear them, had dreamed of a moment where he would look at her like this, beg for her, choose her. But now? Now, they felt unimportant. They meant nothing.She exhaled, rubbing her temple. âI heard you. But my head is splitting apart, Cillian. Can you please just go back to your house? I just w
Madam Facci looked at her son, her expression undecipherable. She had seen Cillian walk through storms without flinching, but today, he stood before her looking utterly wrecked. His usually sharp eyes were bloodshot, his arm wound had reopened, staining his sleeve with fresh blood, yet none of that seemed to matter to him or anyone at this point.âWhat do you want, Cillian?â she asked, her voice firm but not unkind.âIâm here to see Abella,â he said. His voice was hoarse, almost desperate.Madam Facci crossed her arms. âIâm sure you have no idea what happened last night.ââI know,â he admitted, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. âI just want to explain things to her. She is overthinking this, and there is nothing much to overthink. I justââ He exhaled sharply. âI just want to make everything okay.âA wry smile tugged at Madam Facciâs lips, but there was no amusement in her eyes. âSon,â she said, âwe can never tell someone what is worth overthinking or not. For you, th