ログインADELINE'S POV
Daniel came and stood beside me. Together we looked down at Hope. At least, Daniel looked down at her. I could only feel her warmth in my arms. "I wish I could see her face," I said. "Maybe someday you will." "And if I don't?" "Then I'll describe her to you every day. So you can see her through my words." "You promise?" "I promise." The next few weeks passed in a blur. Taking care of Hope. Feeding her every few hours. Changing diapers. Rocking her to sleep. It was exhausting. But also wonderful. Daniel was amazing. He helped with everything. He never complained. He just loved us. My mother visited once a week. She brought gifts for Hope. Clothes, toys, and books.<The next morning, Dr. Peterson came in. "Good news," he said. "Your latest scans show the cancer is responding to treatment. We might be able to get you into remission." "Really?" "Yes. But you need to continue treatment for at least six more months." Six more months. Six more months of being sick. Six more months of fighting. Six more months of being afraid. "Okay," I said. "I'll do it." "Good. We'll start you on a stronger dose this week." After Dr. Peterson left, I looked at Daniel. "Did you hear that? I might survive this." "I told you. You're a fighter." "But what if Blake finds me before I finish treatment? What if he kills me before I have a chance to beat the cancer?" "That's not going to happen." "You don't know that." Dan
ADELINE'S POV "I thought I'd never see you again," she sobbed. "I'm here, Mom. I'm alive." "And you have a baby. A beautiful baby." "Her name is Hope." "Hope. That's perfect." My mom stayed for hours. She held Hope. She told me stories about when I was little. She filled in all the blanks in my memory. "Do you remember anything?" she asked. "From before Blake took you?" "Some things. I remember Daniel. I remember being engaged. But everything else is fuzzy." "It'll come back. Give it time." But I wasn't sure I wanted it to come back. Part of me liked being Adeline. Adeline was strong. Adeline survived. Elena was weak.
ADELINE'S POV Blake led me to the guest room. It smelled like lavender. The bed was soft. Much softer than the mattress in the basement. "Sleep," Blake said. "I'll check on you later." He left and locked the door behind him. I lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Or at least where I thought the ceiling was. Everything was just darkness. Endless darkness. I put my hand on my stomach. The baby kicked again. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm sorry I brought you into this world. I'm sorry I can't protect you. I'm sorry for everything." The baby kicked harder. Like it was trying to tell me something. Like it was trying to say, "Don't give up." But I was so tired of fighting. So tired of hoping. So
ADELINE'S POV I woke up screaming. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest. I was covered in sweat. My hands were shaking. "It was just a dream," I whispered to myself. "Just a dream." But it felt so real. Daniel. Hope. Emma. James. The Hope Foundation. Getting my sight back. Being free. All of it felt so real. I touched my face. My eyes. I could still see. Wait. No. I blinked. Everything was dark again. Completely dark. My heart sank. I was still blind. It was all a dream. A beautiful, wonderful, perfect dream. And now I was back in reality. I felt my stomach. Still pregnant. Very pregnant.
ADELINE'S POV There were still hard days. Days when the memories came back. Days when I had nightmares about being blind and helpless. Days when I worried about Hope and Emma. But there were more good days than bad. Days filled with laughter. Days filled with love. Days filled with hope. And that was enough. More than enough. A few months later, I was invited to speak at a conference for abuse survivors. I almost said no. I wasn't sure I was ready to share my story publicly. But Daniel encouraged me. "You could help so many people," he said. "Or I could make a fool of myself." "You won't. You're strong. And your story is important." So I agreed. The day of the conference, I was nervous. My hands were shaking. My voice was shaky
ADELINE'S POV Not as Elena or Adeline. But as myself. A survivor, a mother, a woman who had been through hell and came out stronger. "Daniel," I said quietly. "Yes?" "I'm ready." "Ready for what?" "To get married. For real this time. Daniel turned to look at me. His eyes were wide. "Are you sure?" "I'm sure. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. As your wife. Daniel smiled. The biggest smile I had ever seen. "Then let's do it. Let's get married." "When?" "Whenever you want." "Tomorrow?" Daniel laughed. "Tomorrow works for me." But we didn't get married tomorrow. We waited two weeks. So my mother could plan a small ceremony.







