Page 97 of Between Dusk and Dawn

Once he was finished, the doorbell rang.

"What the heck?" I pulled back from him. "More surprises?"

Walsh’s face lit up as he slowly made it to the front door. A flurry of voices echoed throughout the otherwise-quiet room, shocking me.

The first person to walk through that I recognized was Mr. Solis.

"Hey, Madison," he said so casually as he came over and gave me a kiss on the cheek before heading to the kitchen. What an odd greeting; it took me a moment to process that it was as if I was part of the family.

Then I saw Ember, who was wearing an obnoxious Christmas sweater and a pair of jeans, followed by her husband Rain, who donned an all-black look. He seemed to hover over her as I offered a smile and walked in their direction, somewhat hesitant knowing that Rain was still upset.

"Merry Christmas," she said, crossing the distance between us and giving me a hug, washing away any hesitation I had.

"Thank you for lending me the car," I said to Rain who stood beside her.

He let out a breath as Walsh rounded the corner to stand next to me, and for a moment, to an outsider, it probably looked like we were about to tear each other’s claws off.

Then Rain let out a deep sigh. "It’s already been delivered back here, so no problem."

He then paused, looked between the two of us, and spoke. "If this is some sort of charade again, I will not stand for it?—"

"It’s not," Walsh defended. I tugged lightly on his hands, thankful for his protection. Ember pulled on Rain’s arm and Walsh seemed to relax at this gesture.

"Rain, this is Walsh’s wife, Madison." Rain seemed to relax at the thought and then offered his hand in my direction.

"Nice to meet you, Madison." He emphasized my preferred name that I’d told Ember I’d rather be called now, and I quickly reached out and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, too," I responded with ease.

"Alright, formalities are out of the way, let's celebrate," Mr. Solis declared, breaking the tension that lingered in the living room. Ember eagerly joined her father, extracting an assortment of food items from a bag.

"Walsh-y, we're raiding your pans," Ember announced, approaching Mr. Solis. As Walsh headed in their direction, I gently tugged on his arm to halt him.

"Why?" I asked, studying his face for insight.

"Why, what?" he replied softly. I motioned to everyone gathered in the living room.

"All of this."

"Because you deserve it," he whispered tenderly. I was overwhelmed with emotion.

"Hey, Walsh?" I spoke, glancing down at the sparkling ring on my finger. Though we were technically already married, it hadn't transpired the way I had ever imagined—not that I envisioned a marriage for love.

"Yes, Muse?" he responded, pulling me snugly into his arms. I took a deep breath, allowing the warmth of his embrace to envelop me.

"I think the war we were waging against each other was better fought when we were on the same side," I finally admitted into his chest. He gently pulled away, just enough to meet my gaze.

"I agree."

Because if anything was learned, it was that sometimes hurt people hurt others not out of any harmful or malicious intent, but rather as a reflection of their own pain and struggles. Life had taught us we were all flawed, carrying our own burdens, and navigating through a world that wasn’t always kind was easier when we were fighting it together.

As we stood in the warmth of that moment, surrounded by family and love, we realized that our shared battles and scars had led us to a place of acceptance and forgiveness. The journey to our happily ever after wasn't a smooth path; it was filled with twists, turns, and unexpected revelations. The war we fought against each other had become the foundation for buildingsomething beautiful—an enduring love that transcended the darkness of our pasts.

And so, we embraced the truth. As I stared at my own story, laid out in front of me, I realized that overcoming the pain from my parents didn't have to be linear. It was messy and complicated which made me messy and complicated.

For years I thought I was never worthy enough for love, a notion rooted in the pain of my past. When I met Walsh, I understood that love wasn't a weakness, but a potent, all-encompassing force. Though it stirred trepidation within both of us, it was the collaborative exploration of our emotions that ultimately held the key to our salvation. Together, we navigated the labyrinth of our fears, proving that confronting our vulnerabilities side by side was the true answer. Because even villains, in their quest for redemption, could rewrite their stories and find their own versions of happily ever after.

Epilogue

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