Keifer's pov
The car glided through the iron gates, headlights flashing across the marble fountain that hadn't run in months. I had walked through these gates before but this time, I wasn't walking in alone.
Jay's hand rested lightly on mine, grounding me. Her eyes caught the moonlight, steady and sharp, the way they always did when I forgot how to breathe.
"I've missed you," she said softly, her voice cutting through the quiet.
Keigan met us at the door, half a grin on his face and mischief in his eyes but you could still see worry on his face.
Behind him, Keiren peered out — calm, always observing first. "Welcome back," he said simply to me, then gave Jay a small nod. "You too."
Jay smiled. "Thanks, Keiren. Try not to call me 'ma'am,' okay?"
That made Keigan laugh, and for the first time in months, the mansion felt alive again.
That night, after everyone turned in, Jay found me in my old room — the one with the floor‑to‑ceiling windows overlooking the gardens. I stood there, lost in the sea of shadows.
She slipped her hand into mine. "You okay?"
I nodded slowly. "It's just… strange being back."
Her hand tightened around mine. "Then let's make it ours," she said.
And when she looked at me like that — bold, fearless, full of love — I believed we could.