Epilogue - Rachel
I blinked a few times, my eyes taking a minute to fully commit to remaining open. As they adjusted to the morning sunlight filling the room, I focused on Ellis still asleep beside me. He looked so peaceful. His hair was slightly messy, and his lips were parted as he breathed slowly. A smile tugged at my lips while I lay there, watching him sleep.
Two weeks ago, I never could have imagined feeling this content, like everything had finally fallen into place. But now, here I was—happy.
I slipped out of bed, trying not to wake him, and tiptoed out of the room. As I made my way down the hallway, I couldn’t help but notice the boxes scattered around. Some were half-open, revealing Ellis’s books, a few framed photos, and some vinyl records. He’d been moving his stuff in bit by bit, and every new thing that found a spot in the cottage made it feel more like he belonged here too, like he’d been here all along.
Serenity had adjusted to having him around like it was the most natural thing in the world. The other night, I’d found her curled up on the couch with him, fast asleep, and Ellis was quietly reading a storybook she’d picked out, even though she’d been out cold for a good twenty minutes. It was little moments like that—the easy way he fit into our lives—that made my heart swell.
I made my way to the kitchen, already thinking about breakfast, and wasn’t surprised when Serenity’s footsteps sounded coming down the hall. She entered the kitchen behind me, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
“Morning, sweetheart,” I said, holding my arms out for her to give me a hug. “What do you want for breakfast?”
“Pancakes,” she said sleepily.
I kissed her on the crown of her head. “Pancakes, huh?”
Ever since she’d made them with Ellis, pancakes had become her obsession, but only because she wanted to be the one to flip them.
“Yep!” She untangled herself from me and went to the drawer for the spatula.
I laughed. “Okay, then. Pancakes it is.”
Once we were finished mixing the batter, Ellis wandered into the kitchen. His hair stuck up in places and he looked adorable in his half-asleep state.
“Morning. What are you making?” he asked, walking to the coffee machine.
He paused to give me a quick kiss.
“Morning,” I replied, smiling at him. “What do you think we’re making?”
“Pancakes,” he and Serenity said at the same time.
We all laughed.
“Want to help?” Serenity asked.
“Looks like you’ve got it under control,” he said.
Serenity beamed at the compliment, and I could see how much she loved having him here.
A few minutes later, Aunt Maribel appeared to make her usual cup of tea. Her gaze skimmed over the three of us, and I noticed a gentle smile tug at her lips.
“The cottage hums a new tune lately,” she said, her eyes twinkling while she paused to sip her tea. “One that’s infused with life. Warm and happy hearts make for a cozy home.”
“I agree,” I said.
I glanced around, gratitude washing over me. While the cottage had always been home, it felt fuller now, brighter. We weren’t just a collection of people living under the same roof—we were a family.
After breakfast, as everyone cleared their plates and Serenity darted off to play, Aunt Maribel caught my eye and gave a small, subtle nod. I knew that look—she wanted to talk, and not in front of everyone.
I followed her outside.
She didn’t say anything right away. Instead, she sipped her second cup of tea. When she finally turned to me, her eyes were bright but distant, like she was looking at something only she could see.
“There’s a restlessness in the air,” she said softly. “Like the wind when it knows it’s time to change direction. I’ve felt it stirring, and it’s been whispering to me... calling me somewhere new.”
I frowned, not quite understanding. “What do you mean?”
Maribel’s lips curved into a gentle, knowing smile. “The ocean is calling to me, dear,” she said, her voice dreamy, like she was caught up in a far-off thought. “I’ve gained all I can from the winds in these woods, and now they’re telling me it’s time to follow it elsewhere. There’s a little cottage by the sea I’ve been dreaming of, where the tide sings the wind’s secrets that these trees can’t carry.”
It took me a moment to process what she was saying, and even then, it felt like it hadn’t fully sunk in. “You’re moving?” I asked, my heart squeezing a little at the thought.
“Not yet,” she said, her gaze softening as she reached out to gently pat my hand. “But the time will come. The wind near the ocean has its own lessons to teach, and I’ve learned to listen when something pulls at me. It won’t be tomorrow, or even the next day. But it’s coming, and I wanted you to know.”
I stood there, shocked. Part of me wanted to protest, to ask her to stay, but I knew better than that. Aunt Maribel had always followed her own path in life. She’d been guided by things most couldn’t even sense, and I couldn’t ask her to ignore that.
It was too much of what made her who she was.
“I get it,” I said quietly. “I understand. When you’re ready to go, I’ll support you. You’ll always have a place with us here at the cottage, no matter what.”
Her eyes twinkled, and she squeezed my hand. “Oh, my dear, I have no doubts about that.”
“Don’t get me wrong though. I wish you’d stay here with us forever.”
“I know, but I’ve seen it in the cards too. Your path and mine—they’ve intertwined for a time, but they don’t end in the same place. That’s as it should be.” She gave a soft, almost whimsical sigh. “But there’s still more to do here before I let the winds of the ocean carry me off. So don’t you worry just yet.” She winked.
I nodded, feeling relieved. Sienna hadn’t mentioned anything about a plan for how to get a feather from Xander’s raven yet, and while I’d been practicing how to control my new power, I hadn’t mastered much of anything.
“One more thing,” Aunt Maribel said. “The cottage has been given a new keeper.”
“What do you mean?”
She squeezed my hand once more. “My secret errand was signing the cottage over to you. Spread your roots deeper here—with Ellis and Serenity.”
My eyes filled with tears. “Thank you.”
She cupped my face and smiled, her eyes never wavering from mine. “You deserve this place. After all, you’re the one that filled its walls with even more life than I did. Keep doing that, fill it with all the happiness it can hold.”
I laughed, the sound breaking up the tightness in my chest. “I think I can manage that,” I said, feeling a little lighter. “Just promise to send postcards, okay?”
“Postcards, seashells, maybe even a few bits of driftwood,” she said, her eyes sparkling with that familiar, whimsical light. “You’ll have all the proof you need that I’m listening to the ocean wind’s secrets, even if I’m miles away.”
It was such an Aunt Maribel thing to say, and it made me smile wider. I hugged her tightly. She was still here now, and that was enough.
We made our way back inside, and I found Ellis coloring at the coffee table with Serenity. His eyes found mine, and I knew he could tell something was wrong. I made my way to sit beside him on the couch.
“Everything okay?” he asked, his voice low so Serenity wouldn’t hear.
“Yeah.” I rested my head on his shoulder. “Aunt Maribel just told me she’ll be following the wind to the ocean somewhere.”
He glanced at me. “What? She’s moving?”
“Not until this thing with Xander and Lucius’s spirit is taken care of, but yeah. She’s moving,” I said, unable to hide the sadness from my tone. “She left me the cottage. That was the errand she ran that one day she was so secretive about—that’s what she was hiding.”
Ellis draped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me in closer. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s so crazy how much has changed in such a short amount of time,” I said, exhaling a slow breath.
“I know what you mean,” he said. “There were times I didn’t think I’d ever find this—find you. But I’m glad I did.”
I glanced up at him, feeling a lump form in my throat. “Me, too. I used to think this kind of happiness was something I’d already had... and lost.” My voice softened, my thoughts drifting to memories of late nights, shared smiles, and the quiet strength of my late husband’s presence. “It was hard to imagine I could ever find love and happiness like that again.”
“I think he’d be happy to see you so happy again,” Ellis said quietly. “To know you’re finding your way back to joy.”
I blinked back tears that threatened to spill over. “Yeah,” I whispered. “I like to think he’d be okay with this, with Serenity and me finding a way to move forward.”
“I’m in no way trying to replace him,” Ellis said softly, carefully, his eyes steady on mine. “But I can’t deny that I want to help you find a hold on happiness again, in whatever way I can.”
I reached up, brushing my fingers against his cheek. “You already have.”
We kissed. It was tender and sweet, and had Serenity giggling and breaking the moment seconds later.
“What are you laughing at?” I asked as I bent forward and tickled her.
“Nothing!” she shouted between laughing. “Ellis, help!”
“Help, you say?” he asked, creeping closer to me again. “I’ll help all right.” He tickled me like I did her and I laughed so hard I thought I might pee my pants.
The three of us, here, in this moment, it was more than I’d ever hoped for after James’s passing.
It was perfect, and for the first time in a long time, I felt whole again.
Happy.