Chapter 31
Sunshine
Two weeks later, Harbor House felt different.
Not because every wound had healed.
Some never would.
But because laughter had begun to outnumber tears.
The children no longer hesitated before running through the backyard.
The women lingered over coffee in the mornings, sharing stories instead of silence.
Fresh flowers sat in mason jars on every table, thanks to Charlie's insistence that "houses need smiling colors."
Grace had started helping the younger children with their reading.
Emma had become Daisy's unofficial assistant, organizing donation shelves with the same careful attention she'd once used to memorize names.
Healing wasn't finished.
But it had begun.
The clubhouse buzzed with life that evening.
The rescue had been a success, and while no one believed the fight against the Divine Order was over, tonight wasn't about the war.
It was about the people they'd brought home.
Long picnic tables filled the yard.
The smokers worked nonstop while Bear argued with Mace over who made the better barbecue.
Children raced through the grass with sparklers as the sun disappeared behind the trees.
Music drifted from the clubhouse porch.
For the first time in weeks...
Everyone smiled.
Charlie darted across the yard with Grace close behind.
"You're too slow!" Charlie called.
Grace laughed.
"I was letting you win!"
"You were not!"
"I absolutely was."
Charlie gasped dramatically.
"Daddy!"
Remedy looked up from where he was helping Bishop move coolers.
"What's wrong?"
"Grace cheated."
Grace folded her arms.
"I did not."
Charlie grinned.
"Okay... maybe she didn't."
The two girls burst into laughter before running off again.
I watched them disappear toward the playground the brothers had built behind the clubhouse years earlier.
Remedy slipped beside me.
"You okay?"
I smiled.
"I was just thinking."
"Dangerous."
I nudged him gently.
"They look happy."
He followed my gaze.
"They do."
"They deserve it."
"So do you."
I looked up at him.
"I've had enough people tell me what I deserve."
He brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"I'm not telling you."
His voice was quiet.
"I'm reminding you."
Across the yard, Brooke sat at one of the picnic tables with Daisy.
She had visited Charlie three more times over the past two weeks.
Each visit had been short.
Simple.
No pressure.
No expectations.
Today, Charlie had proudly shown Brooke the vegetable garden she'd planted behind Harbor House.
When Brooke left, Charlie had hugged her without anyone asking.
Small steps.
Real steps.
Exactly the way they needed to happen.
Brooke looked over and caught my eye.
She smiled.
Not possessively.
Gratefully.
I smiled back.
Whatever their future became...
It would be built with patience.
As darkness settled over the property, Toxic climbed onto the porch steps and whistled loudly.
Every conversation stopped.
"That usually means a speech," Bishop muttered.
"It does," Steel agreed.
Toxic crossed his arms.
"I'll keep it short."
Several brothers laughed.
"No you won't," Mace called.
Toxic ignored him.
"We've had a hell of a month."
His expression became serious.
"We brought fifty-four people home."
A quiet murmur passed through the crowd.
"Some of them are sitting here tonight."
Several women looked down, emotion shining in their eyes.
"You survived."
His voice carried across the yard.
"Not because you're weak."
"But because you're stronger than the people who tried to break you."
Silence settled over everyone.
"Our fight isn't finished."
He glanced toward Knight, Ledger, and Cipher.
"We've still got work to do."
"But tonight..."
He smiled.
"...tonight we celebrate every person who made it here."
Applause spread through the crowd.
Then Toxic looked directly at Remedy.
"Ethan."
Remedy sighed.
"I knew this was coming."
"You getting up here or do I need to drag you?"
Laughter erupted.
Remedy shook his head.
"I'll walk."
He climbed the porch steps.
"What did I do?"
"You finally stopped pretending."
Remedy frowned.
"Pretending what?"
Toxic looked toward me.
"That she's anything less than yours."
My cheeks warmed instantly.
The yard grew quiet.
Remedy looked at me.
Then back at Toxic.
"I wasn't pretending."
"No?"
"No."
Steel grinned.
"About damn time."
The brothers chuckled.
Remedy rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm not much for speeches."
"Good," Mace said.
"We're tired of listening."
More laughter.
Remedy looked across the gathering.
At Charlie sitting on Daisy's lap.
At Grace beside Emma.
At Brooke quietly watching from the end of the table.
Then finally...
His eyes found mine.
"When Sunshine came into our lives..."
His voice softened.
"...I thought I was helping someone survive."
He smiled.
"I didn't realize she was saving us too."
Emotion tightened in my chest.
"Charlie fell in love with her first."
Charlie immediately shouted,
"I did!"
Everyone laughed.
Remedy smiled at our little girl before looking back at me.
"She gave my daughter another person to trust."
His eyes glistened.
"She gave my home laughter again."
His voice caught for just a second.
"And somewhere along the way..."
"...she became home too."
Tears blurred my vision.
He stepped off the porch.
Walked through the crowd.
Stopped directly in front of me.
"You've already chosen us every day."
He reached for both of my hands.
"But I'd like everyone else to know..."
He smiled that quiet smile that had become my favorite.
"...I'm choosing you too."
Without another word, he leaned forward and kissed me.
The applause started before the kiss ended.
Someone wolf-whistled.
Charlie clapped so enthusiastically she nearly fell off Daisy's lap.
"Again!" she shouted.
Laughter echoed through the yard.
When Remedy pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine.
"I love you."
The words were simple.
Steady.
Certain.
I smiled through happy tears.
"I love you too."
Later that night, after the music had faded and the children had fallen asleep, Remedy and I stood on the clubhouse porch overlooking the quiet property.
Fireflies danced over the grass.
Inside Harbor House, soft lights glowed in the bedroom windows.
Grace was asleep.
Emma was safe.
Charlie dreamed peacefully in her room.
Brooke had begun rebuilding a relationship with her daughter.
The Divine Order still existed.
Oliver and Ellie were still waiting.
There were more battles ahead.
But tonight, surrounded by family, hope felt stronger than fear.
For the first time in a very long time...
The future didn't seem like something to survive.
It felt like something to look forward to.