Jay's POV
The gates of Keifer's mansion slowly opened, and for the first time since the hospital in London, my heart felt… steady.
Home.
Not the building.
Not the city.
Him.
As the car stopped, Keifer reached for my hand instinctively, his fingers lacing with mine like he was afraid I might disappear again. I squeezed back, grounding myself in the warmth of his touch.
"We're home, hubby," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion.
He turned to me, eyes soft, lips curved into that familiar smile—the one I thought I had lost forever.
"Home is where you are, wifey," he said quietly.
The moment we stepped inside the mansion, memories rushed back. The laughter. The chaos. The nights when we stayed awake talking about dreams and fears. I felt my chest tighten, overwhelmed.
I suddenly stopped walking.
Keifer noticed instantly.
"Jay?"
Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them.
"I almost lost you here," I said softly. "Every corner… every memory… I kept thinking—what if you never came back?"
He didn't say anything.
Instead, he pulled me into his arms.
Tight. Protective. Real.
I buried my face into his chest, clutching his shirt like it was the only thing keeping me standing. His heartbeat was strong beneath my ear, and I listened to it like a prayer.
"I'm here," he murmured, kissing the top of my head.
"I fought my way back to you."
I pulled back just enough to look at him, my hands cupping his face.
"Don't ever scare me like that again, hubby," I said, trying to smile through tears.
He leaned down and pressed his forehead against mine.
"I promise, wifey. I'll always come back to you."
Then he kissed me.
Slow. Gentle. Emotional.
Not rushed.
Not desperate.
Just… us.
It felt like healing.
When we finally pulled apart, he brushed his thumb over my cheek, wiping away my tears.
"Come," he said softly. "Let's go inside. You need rest."
I laughed weakly.
"You sound like the doctor."
He smirked.
"Boss habits."
Keifer's POV
Watching Jay walk through the mansion again felt surreal.
A week ago, I couldn't even open my eyes.
Now she was here—alive, smiling, calling me hubby like she always did.
I followed her into the living room, my heart full in a way words couldn't explain.
She sat on the couch, looking around quietly, like she was memorizing everything again. I sat beside her, pulling her close until her head rested on my shoulder.
"I thought I lost you," she whispered.
That broke me.
I turned to her fully, holding her face in my hands.
"No," I said firmly. "You didn't lose me. I lost my strength for a moment—but you were the reason I came back."
Her eyes widened.
"Me?"
I nodded.
"Every time I slipped… every time everything went dark… I heard your voice. Calling me. Crying for me. That's what pulled me back."
She started crying again, and I kissed her tears away, one by one.
"Don't cry, wifey," I murmured.
"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
She leaned forward and kissed me this time—longer, deeper, full of all the fear and relief we'd been holding inside.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her onto my lap without even thinking. She fit there like she belonged, like she always had.
She rested her forehead against mine.
"I waited every second for you," she whispered.
"I counted your breaths in the hospital. I prayed for your heartbeat."
My throat tightened.
"And I lived because of you," I replied.
"Because my wifey was waiting."
I kissed her again—this one slow and lingering, filled with promise.
Jay's POV
Later that night, we stood on the balcony, the city lights glowing beneath us.
The breeze was soft. The world felt quiet for the first time in weeks.
Keifer wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder.
"You're shaking," he noticed.
"I'm scared," I admitted honestly.
"Scared that this happiness will disappear again."
He turned me around and held my face gently.
"Look at me, Jay."
I did.
"I survived monsters, injuries, and death itself," he said firmly.
"You think I'll lose to fear?"
I smiled through tears.
"You're impossible."
He grinned.
"Yet you married me."
I laughed softly and leaned into him, resting my head on his chest.
"I love you, hubby," I whispered.
He kissed my forehead, my nose, my lips—slow and tender.
"I love you more than life, wifey," he said.
"And this time… we get our forever."
I closed my eyes in his arms, feeling safe, loved, and home.
And for the first time since everything began—
I slept peacefully.