Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
The beautiful drawing of the wharf settles perfectly next to the one of Cavendish Beach as I hang it on the wall and step back with a smile.
My gaze roams over the nearly full wall of our living room, lined with framed drawings Silas has done of our life here on PEI.
Scenery from camping trips, the lighthouse, corners of the farm, our cabin, my eyes, Winston…
But right in the centre of it all is his drawing of the hollow heart field.
My gaze lingers on it a moment longer as the coffee pot sputters to a stop behind me, and I reach out to lightly trace my fingers over the faint stitching running through the middle of the field.
Everything he creates is beautiful. But this one will always be my favourite.
I turn into the kitchen, pull two mugs from the cupboard, and pour coffee into each. Then I head outside, down the porch steps, and through the small clearing in the trees.
Silas sits on the bench we put out here overlooking the field, his sketchbook resting on his lap as his pencil glides over the paper, and Winston lies at his feet.
They both look up as I step out from the trees, and a smile spreads across Silas’s face.
I pause, unable to stop myself from just taking a moment to look at him. The rays from the rising sun stretch across the field in front of us, illuminating his beautiful smile and lighting him up in a way that rivals the art on the wall inside.
I step forward and pass him a mug, then sit beside him and press a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he says, his hazel eyes flicking between mine.
The sun continues to rise and spread its warmth over us as I lean my head against his shoulder and he continues drawing.
My gaze drifts out over the field as I listen to the soft scratching of his pencils on the paper and the birds in the trees.
This field was just harvested… and everything was perfect.
Winston leans against my legs and looks back at me with a goofy smile, and I scratch behind his ears as Silas lets out a quiet laugh.
Everything is perfect.
My gaze then falls to the drawing in Silas’s lap, and I let my eyes trace over the lines, bright colours, and pieces of our past, present, and future.
Redwave stands on our stretch of beach, just past the edge of this field, with the lighthouse standing tall behind him.
His power is back, as the red glow circles up his arms, brighter than it ever has been, and the two lines come together over his chest. Where there was once a hollow, empty space torn out by his villain, there’s now a heart that’s brighter and stronger than it’s ever been.
“I figured out his future,” I say.
Silas looks down at me. “Yeah?”
I nod, smiling softly at the drawing. “Yeah.” I reach out and gently trace over his glowing heart.
“He now has everything he’s ever wanted.
He fought through pain, loss, hurt, and more…
but now, he’s happy. And he gets to keep it.
” I lift my head off Silas’s shoulder and look into his eyes.
“He ties himself to the source of his power, so he can keep it with him for the rest of his life.”
Silas smiles, and my eyes drop to his lips as my heart thumps.
“It’s you and me, Si. Always has been. Always will be.” I lift my eyes to meet his again. “Marry me.”
His lips part, and his eyes widen slightly.
My heart riots as I hold his gaze, the rays from the rising sun catching in his eyes and highlighting the gold and green. I stare into the beautiful colours, and hope rises as the corners of his eyes crinkle with a smile.
Then he nods.
“You and me, Vi.”
His pencil slips from his palm into the grass as he lifts his hand to the side of my face, and I lean in, taking him in a kiss that carries everything we’ve ever been to each other, and everything we are now.
I’ve always loved Silas. From the moment we met, I knew he was meant to be in my life. And the love I have for him continues to grow every day, even when I think it can’t grow any more.
My heart can never be hollow with him.
And I’m going to love him, keep his light on, and be his safe space for the rest of our lives.
It’s him and me, forever.
A paw suddenly lands across our laps, and we chuckle against each other’s lips as a wet nose pushes at our arms.
And Winston.
THE END