Page 200 of Rose
"From fire, she learned to burn. From love, she learned to bloom.”
One year and six months later
The lights dimmed, casting a warm golden glow over the walls. Every inch of the building told her story. The last two years of her life captured in brushstrokes, paintings, and sculptures. People moved slowly through the space, dressed in elegance, pausing to admire the pain, the fire, the healing… and most of all, the love embedded in every piece.
This wasn’t just an art showcase.
It was a dream she had once believed was too far to reach.
Her own museum.The Rose of Love.
NotThe Escape Room—that chapter had closed. She named itThe Rose of Lovebecause in the last two years, she had risen from every hardship, every scar, every hand that tried to keep her buried.
And tonight, standing in the middle of it all, she had never felt more whole.
She owed so much of that to herhusband, Savior Carter.
It had taken seven months for him to heal completely, to return to the beautiful chaos that made himhim.Two and a half months after that, they were married. On the same day, their daughter, Sincerity Rose Carter, was born, perfect in every way.
Kyre had walked away almost a thousand dollars richer, the only one who’d guessed right that it would be a girl. Everyone else had lost the bet, including the entire Carter family. Everyone except Ahzii.
She stepped forward now, the mic cool in her hand, standing in the heart of the museum she had built from the rubble of her life. Her gaze swept over her family, emotion welling in her chest. Everyone here had played a role in shaping her into the woman she was, in helping her heal in ways she could never repay.
But then her eyes found him—Savior—holding their one-year-old daughter in his arms. The curse of the Carter boys broken again, their little girl the spitting image of Ahzii. The sight undid her, and the tears spilled freely.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, dabbing quickly at her makeup before it could run.
The room fell silent, all eyes turning toward her.
Her white dress hugged every curve, its softness a sharp contrast to the strength in her stance. Her pixie cut framed her face, sharp and regal, like a crown she’d grown herself. She took a deep breath, steadying the tremor in her voice.
“Thank you all for being here tonight. This moment… this space… it’s more than a museum. It’s my heart cracked open. For a long time, I didn’t think I’d ever standin a moment like this. I was burned—by life, by betrayal, by loss that left holes in me I didn’t think would ever close. I’ve had days where I couldn’t breathe. Nights where the only light I had came from the fire that tried to take me. But love…” Her voice softened, eyes finding Savior again. “Love found me in the ashes. It didn’t come wrapped in perfection. It came through pain. Through grief. Through chaos.”
She looked at him like he was the only person in the room. And in that moment, he was.
“It showed up in my brother. In my friends. In every person who reminded me I was more than what tried to break me. But most of all…” Her voice softened, eyes locking on Savior. “…it showed up in my husband. The man who, since day one, dug into the deepest parts of me and pulled me back to life. I love you, baby.”
Tears streamed freely now, her makeup long forgotten.
Savior mouthedI love youback, leaning down to whisper to Sincerity. Their daughter turned her little face toward the crowd and blew her mother a kiss.
Ahzii’s laugh broke through her tears as she caught it in her hand and blew one right back.
“This museum is calledThe Rose of Lovebecause that’s what I had to become—a rose. Not something fragile. But something resilient. Something beautiful that bloomed through concrete, through flames, through silence, and survival. Love didn’t save me overnight. But it taught me how to save myself. So if you’re walking through this space, I hope you feel that. I hope you see that no matter how life scorches you, you can bloom again. Not in spite of the fire, but because of it.”
Her voice cracked, but she smiled through the tears. “Welcome toThe Rose of Love.I’m so glad you’re here.”
Applause erupted, glasses lifting into the air in a toast.
She handed the mic to one of her staff, and before she could take another step, Kyre and A’Mazi were already there. Kyre wrapped her in a tight embrace, her words muffled into Ahzii’s shoulder.
“We are so proud of you, Zii.”
When they pulled apart, Ahzii’s smile was pure gratitude. “Thank you.”
Through every chapter of her life—every scar, every fire—Kyre had been there. Her true best friend.
A’Mazi’s arms came next, strong and sure, before he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I always believed in you,” he murmured. Even in heels, she still had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze.
