Epilogue One
Estelle
The air in the third-floor room was warm, golden light creeping sideways across the hardwood where I sat cross-legged on the soft rug.
All around me, the photos I’d collected since moving in formed a mural on the wall. Jax had turned this room into my personal nook, even though he claimed every room was exactly that.
A few photos were Jax holding Leo on his shoulders at famous parks, Avery posing with Leo, triumphant and wild-haired at her last recital, Sierra and me playing with Toffee.
And Giselle, as always, with that spark of laughter and mischief in her eyes.
My fingertip brushed over a picture of her, one of the few I had. She looked like me, but her hair was more wavy, and she always had that look on her face, the one meaning she was up to no good.
Next to her photo, the simple urn I’d chosen for my sister’s ashes caught the morning sun. The matte ceramic was interrupted only by a swirl of green, like a wisp of captured meadow .
I let my gaze rest there. Giselle would tease me for how meticulous I kept this room. She’d approve of everything else, though—the pricier furniture, the soft cream throws, the steady, clean peace.
For the first time in years, I hadn’t woken up this morning mired in dread. I’d expected the sadness of today, the heavy knot that always sank into my chest on the anniversary, but the house was too full of life now to let me be entirely drowned by it.
I heard Jax’s footsteps before the door creaked open, heavy yet quiet. I didn’t move, but my heart beat a little faster, as it always did for him.
After months of sharing a home, I was still getting used to the way he filled every room—part storm, part sunrise.
He leaned in the doorway for a moment, his eyes soft. “Hey, princess.”
I tilted my face up, and he crossed the room, kneeling behind me where I sat. His strong arms curved around my waist, holding me close. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and leaned forward to nuzzle just behind my ear.
I reached up to lay my hand over his, threading our fingers together, letting him hold me.
I didn’t need to tell him what today was; he knew. He knew everything.
He gently stroked my hair back from my cheek, his thumb brushing the shell of my ear.
“I know it’s a hard day,” he soothed into my hair, voice soft. “I was thinking about Giselle, too. And Leo.”
My throat tightened. I squeezed his hand, staying silent, and letting the moment stretch out. His warmth at my back, the comforting scent of him, his fresh-pressed shirt still faintly soapy, eased the nerves thrumming just below the surface.
He rocked me a bit, like a baby. “So… I planned something. I thought maybe it’d make today a little lighter for Leo. Hell, for all of us. ”
I blinked, turning my head enough to see his expression. There was something mischievous there, a boyish spark underneath the always-there confidence, the little edge that softened only for me.
“What did you do?” My nose wrinkled, halfway teasing.
He grinned, then pecked my lips. “What would you say to giving Leo his very own dinosaur?”
The words tumbled into my chest, making something bright unfurl against my ribs. “A… dinosaur?”
“A bearded dragon,” he chuckled, stroking down my arms. “I remembered him telling you he wanted a dinosaur a while ago. I figured… why the hell not? He gets a childhood. And Giselle would’ve loved it, wouldn’t she?”
I didn’t trust myself to speak right away, my vision shimmering as I swallowed. I turned, wrapping my arms around his neck, pressing my face into his shoulder.
It hit me all at once, the overwhelming rightness of this—of Jax, always seeing what Leo needed, always giving it with so much intention it nearly broke me.
“She would’ve loved it,” I managed, my voice soft and wobbly. “Jax, I—” I squeezed him tighter, laughing a little helplessly at the tears that threatened anyway.
He rocked me back and forth, his palm smoothing over my lower back. “It’s okay, princess. Happy tears today, yeah?”
I managed a laugh, wiped at my eyes, and let him pull me to my feet. “How long have you been planning this? You always do this—get it perfect.”
He shrugged, a little too casually. “Long enough. I called the shop ahead. They’re holding a couple for us to meet. And I might’ve already bought the thing a habitat. It’s state of the art.” He was smug now, that cocky glint back in his eye.
I snorted and poked his chest. “Of course you did.”
He caught my hand, tugging me close for a lingering kiss. “C’mon, princess. We’d better go tell the big news. ”
We found Leo in the kitchen, staring at a tray of cookies Elsie had prepared. His hair was sticking up in four directions, eyes bright. Jax dropped a hand onto his shoulder, squeezing gently.
“Hey, buddy. Got a minute?”
Leo twisted on the stool, looking between us with curiosity. “Am I in trouble?”
Jax’s laugh was low and warm. “For eating three cookies already? Never. We wanted to ask you something.”
I knelt by his side, brushing his hair back and tucking a strand behind his ear, my gaze soft. “Do you remember what you said you wanted to be when you grew up?”
Leo brightened. “A paleontologist!”
Jax grinned. “Right. And you told Estelle you wished you had your own dinosaur, right?”
Leo’s face lit up, even as skepticism crept in. “Well… yeah, but dinosaurs are gone.” His tone had that new hint of childish confidence, the color that had filled in once the old anxieties faded away these last months.
Then… he glanced at me, and his gaze dropped to his lap, remembering what today was. “Like my mom.”
My heart shattered. He didn’t look sad, but he knew what today meant, even if he couldn’t remember Giselle very well. He saw her in me; he knew we loved her fiercely.
I leaned forward and wrapped him in my arms, breathing in his hair. “That’s true, Leo, and we’ll never forget that.” I kissed his hair, then moved down so he could meet my eyes.
“But why don’t we do something she would have loved?”
Leo looked nodded, holding my arm as I pulled back to look at Jax, wiping quickly at my watery eyes.
Jax noticed, of course, and gave me a soft look before turning his attention to Leo. He tapped his jaw, pretending to be deep in thought.
“What about a pet dinosaur? Maybe kind of like one?”
Leo blinked in confusion. “Huh? ”
“A bearded dragon,” Jax finished, dropping the punchline. “We can pick one out today if you want.”
There was a silent beat—then Leo’s eyes went wide, his whole body going utterly still with shock. “For real?” he finally burst out. “I can really get a bearded dragon?”
My heart nearly burst at the sight of him, beaming and wriggling in his seat, every bit a real, happy kid.
Jax nodded, face serious but eyes sparkling. “If you pick a good name and promise to take care of it.”
Leo’s face split into a grin so big I couldn’t help but laugh. He launched himself off the stool, practically bowling into us.
“Thank you! Thank you!” His voice was full and bright, no hint of the old reserve. “Can I name him Dino? Because he’s a dinosaur?”
I hugged him tight, burying my nose in his hair again. “Dino’s perfect.”
It was strange how easily the heaviness of the day receded once we stepped into the sun. Jax laid out clothes for me, as always. A pale green silk blouse and soft brown pants that made me feel elegant and somehow armored all at once.
He claimed he loved “styling his princess,” but I suspected he had a thing for playing dress-up with me.
Leo was basically skipping ahead as we walked into a high-end pet store. The logo gleamed in mirrored gold above the glass doors, and inside, it was polished wood, rolling ladders, and lush walls of greenery.
People drifted among the terrariums and tanks, and the staff looked like they belonged in a spa rather than a pet shop.
The minute we entered, subtle heads turned. Some were the staff, but mostly a clutch of well-dressed patrons who took a double-take at Jax.
His height, the tailored shirt stretched over his muscled frame, the impossible face—everybody registered exactly who he was almost at once.
I saw a few people nudge each other, whispering in that not-discreet way people do when in the presence of someone unbelievably hot and untouchable.
Jax ignored it all, anchoring his palm at my waist with the kind of possessive grip that always made me go a little weak. His eyes were cool as he watched Leo dart ahead, wide-eyed at every tank and enclosure.
I drifted, equal parts melting at Leo’s awe and secretly pleased by the possessive way Jax was holding me. Being with Jax made something in me stand taller, made the world feel a little safer. He made it clear I was his, and he was mine.
Leo stopped at a terrarium where two bearded dragons basked under warm lamps, their prehistoric bodies looking oddly endearing. He pressed his hands to the glass, transfixed.
“Which one, buddy?” Jax asked softly, coming beside him.
Leo’s wide eyes darted between a sandy yellow dragon and a green-tinged one with a spikier crest. One of the employees, a young woman, appeared with a smile. “Want to meet them? I can take either one out if you like.”
Leo stared up at her as if she’d just offered him a spaceship. “Can I hold them?”
“Let’s start with this guy,” she decided, carefully lifting the yellow dragon from the enclosure.
She showed him how to cup his hands and let the animal crawl up his forearm, where the bearded dragon paused, blinking with a kind of ancient wisdom. Leo’s smile was pure sunshine.
“He’s so cool,” he whispered, awestruck.
Jax knelt beside him. “Try the other one too, just to know for sure.”
Leo was all seriousness, switching dragons with the focus of a little scientist. After a few more gentle strokes, he glanced up, chin determined and hopeful. “I like the first one. He feels calm. I think he likes me. ”
The employee beamed. “That’s a great choice. He’s very gentle. Have you ever had a reptile before?”
Leo shook his head. “But I read a book about taking care of them! You have to feed them special bugs.”
She grinned. “You’re already ahead of most first-timers.”
Jax pulled me close, bending to whisper, “This is the happiest I’ve ever seen him.”
It was true. Leo’s entire body thrummed with joy as the employee explained the basics: water dish, heating lamps, greens, calcium powder.
She spoke to Leo as an equal, teaching him how to cup Dino’s body without squeezing, how to stroke the rough scales so the lizard would relax into his palm.
I watched them together, Jax’s arm tight at my waist, and felt every ghost of the day’s old pain start to fade behind something new and warm.
When Jax learned exactly what Leo needed, he turned to the employee with his deadly, celebrity-bright smile. “We’ll need all the essentials. And we’ll take your temporary setup for now.”
She smiled, not even bothering to hide her awe, and flagged down another employee. “We’ll box everything for you. Mr. Easton, would you like to look at the deluxe habitats? It’s our best seller for VIP clients?—”
Jax just smirked. “The permanent one is already being installed at home. We’ll take the temp and all the food and accessories.”
Leo looked up in disbelief. “You… already got everything?”
Jax ruffled his hair. “You think I’d let you bring home a dinosaur without having his kingdom ready? Not a chance.”
By the end of the trip, we left with an armful of supplies and Dino’s temporary tank. Leo stared at Dino the whole drive back, cuddling the new lizard carrier on his lap, absolutely glowing. I’d never seen him look so free, especially today.
Back at the house, Jax set to work in Leo’s new room. It was full of shelves lined with dinosaur figurines and books, and now, a sleek terrarium that took up half of one wall.
He methodically unpacked lighting elements, timers, basking rocks, branches, special sand, greens, thermometers, and misting pumps—so many pieces.
I sat on Leo’s bed, an actual dinosaur-shaped bed, custom-made thanks to Jax, watching my two loved ones build something beautiful together.
But Leo didn’t waver. He sat cross-legged beside Jax, attempting to read every direction, handing over screws and parts, totally engrossed.
Jax kept up a running commentary, explaining each step, smooth and gentle in turns, patient in ways that made my throat tight.
“You’re going to be a pro at this,” he praised, screwing the final bracket into place.
Leo beamed, standing to inspect the finished palace. “He’s going to love this.”
Jax grinned, pride shining through his exhaustion from putting the habitat together himself. I had no doubt he would have hired someone to do it if it weren’t a bonding experience. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”
They slid the dragon into the gleaming new cage, adjusting the lights and misting the sand while Leo watched with rapt attention.
I stayed perched on Leo’s bed, watching my strange, wonderful family move around the little lizard like he was the most precious dinosaur in the world.
Jax finished, folding his strong arms smugly. “What do you think, Dino? Home sweet home?”
Leo grinned, cheeks flushed, arms tight around the caretaking manual and full of happiness. “He loves it.”
Soft light glowed from the tank, casting gentle patterns on the walls. Leo, usually so quiet on days like this, was sprawled on his rug, belly-laughing at the way Dino ate a bug. Jax lounged beside him, their heads together, sharing smiles .
I let my gaze wander to the window, and wished with every part of me that Giselle could have seen this.
If love could travel through years and pain, I’d send her everything I had right now—her baby safe, happy, and, just a kid again.
Laughter echoed through the room, and sweet, healing love filled the space where sorrow used to live.
I whispered my thanks to her… for Leo, and for this beautiful, absolutely perfect life.