Jason was still sitting with Hailey in the dim quiet of his room, their breathing slow and steady now. The storm inside him had softened, but not disappeared. It never truly did.
Hailey leaned back against the headboard, her legs tucked under her as she watched her brother with gentle eyes. Jason stared at the floor like it held every memory he was afraid to face.
Silence stretched, but it wasn't heavy anymore.
Hailey broke it softly.
"Jason… can I tell you something?"
He gave a low hum. "You don't have to ask, Hails."
She hesitated, then reached for his hand again. He didn't pull away this time.
"Maybe," she said carefully, "the Moon Goddess isn't done with you."
Jason stiffened, eyes snapping to hers.
Hailey continued before he could protest. "You lost Gabriella. And that pain will always matter. She will always matter. But… maybe the Goddess doesn't want your story to end with grief."
Jason's jaw worked, emotion flickering behind his eyes. "Hailey—"
"No," she said gently but firmly. "Listen."
He did.
Hailey squeezed his hand. "Maybe she'll give you a second chance. Another mate. Someone who can hold your heart without replacing Gabriella—someone who can help you breathe again."
Jason swallowed hard, voice tight. "Second chance mates are rare."
"Not impossible," Hailey countered softly. "And if anyone deserves one… it's you."
He looked away as if the thought physically hurt. "I don't know if I could love someone else."
"That's the thing," Hailey whispered. "You don't have to love her the same way. Second chance mates don't erase the first bond. They help heal what's left of you."
Jason's eyes glistened, though he quickly blinked it away.
"I don't want to forget Gabriella," he murmured.
"You won't." Hailey gave him a tiny, warm smile. "Loving again doesn't mean replacing her. Your heart isn't a one-person space, Jason. You have room for more than pain."
He let out a shaky breath. "I don't know if the Goddess would bless me like that."
Hailey tilted her head. "You don't see yourself the way we do. You think you're broken. But you're loyal and brave and strong—stronger than the rest of us combined. If anyone has earned a second chance… it's you."
Jason stared at her then, really stared, as if seeing his little sister in a new light.
"And maybe," Hailey added gently, "when I find my mate… the Moon Goddess will show you that she hasn't forgotten you either."
He huffed a quiet laugh. "You think your mate is going to magically fix me?"
"No," she said with a smile. "But maybe seeing fate bring people together will remind you that hope still exists."
Jason went silent for a long moment.
Then he pulled Hailey into a tight, crushing hug—one that spoke of pain, love, and a thousand unspoken fears.
"Hailey," he whispered into her hair, "you're too good for this world."
She hugged him back just as fiercely. "And you deserve to be happy in it."
Jason closed his eyes, letting her words sink into the cracks he pretended he didn't have.
Maybe she was right.
Maybe Gabriella wanted him to heal.
Maybe the Moon Goddess had one more blessing left for him.
And maybe, just maybe… he could believe in that someday.