Page 112 of Girl Lost
He opened the box to reveal a ring—not the massive diamond she’d once dreamed of but a simple band that she recognized immediately. It was the promise ring he’d given her when they were just kids, full of dreams and hope for the future. The ring she’d left with the adoption papers for him to sign.
Tears blurred Luna’s vision as Corbin slid the band onto her finger. The ring wasn’t just a symbol of what they’d been but ofeverything they were about to become. The past, the pain, all of it led here, to this moment. “It’s ... beautiful,” she managed, her throat tight with emotion.
Corbin pulled her close, his arms strong around her. “I owe you a bigger one,” he murmured against her hair. “And after that, maybe a bigger house. A bigger car. To hold a bigger family.”
Luna looked up at him, her heart so full she thought it might burst.
This was it, she realized. This was what she’d been searching for all along. Not the thrill of the mission or the satisfaction of a job well done, but this—a family, a home, a love that could weather any storm.
The road ahead wouldn’t be easy. There were still challenges to face, wounds to heal, a world to change.
But they would face it together. As a family.
And that, Luna realized, was all she’d ever really wanted.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
The woman in the mirror was a stranger. Gone were the sharp edges and guarded eyes of a CIA operative. In their place, someone softer gazed back. Someone open. Someone who’d found her way home.
Luna’s fingers traced the intricate lace of her wedding dress. The delicate fabric caught on calluses earned from years of fieldwork, a reminder of the life she’d left behind. Stryker’s beach house, once foreign territory, now felt like a sanctuary. A place of new beginnings.
“Mom?” Summer’s voice, still new and wonderful, pulled her from her reverie. “We’re all done.”
She turned. Her daughters stood before her, a vision that made her heart swell. Summer’s auburn waves cascaded over an emerald dress that brought out flecks of gold in her green eyes. Trinity, resplendent in soft lavender, had swept her dark hair into an elegant updo.
“You both look beautiful,” she said.
Trinity guided her to the full-length mirror. “Come on, you have to see yourself.”
Her breath caught. The simple white dress hugged her curves before flowing out gently. Her dark curls, with their hints of auburn,were swept up, a few tendrils framing her face. She looked ... happy. Truly, radiantly happy.
“You’re gorgeous,” Summer breathed, her eyes shining.
She blinked rapidly, willing herself not to cry.
Trinity dabbed at the corner of her own eye. “If you ruin that makeup, we’ll have to start all over.”
“We’d better get going.” Summer glanced at her watch. “Dad’s waiting, and I think he might spontaneously combust if he has to wait much longer.”
As the girls hurried out, she allowed herself a moment of reflection. Not even a year ago, she’d returned to Millie Beach searching for one daughter. Now, through some miracle, she had two. The prodigal daughter, returned to the fold. And not just returned but restored twofold.
She’d been frozen for so long, guilt and fear an impenetrable barrier around her heart. Now, as she stood here on the brink of a new life, that ice had melted away. In its place, a warmth she’d almost forgotten she could feel.
She swiped at her eyes, careful not to smudge her mascara. No more tears. It was time to move forward.
She scooped up her bouquet of soft-pink tulips and made her way outside. The warm sand shocked her bare feet, grounding her in the moment.
White chairs lined a path in the sand, leading to a simple arch draped in flowing fabric. Pink tulips, matching her bouquet, adorned the arch and chairs. The late afternoon sun bathed everything in a warm, golden light, as if nature itself was celebrating with them.
And there, at the end of the aisle, stood Corbin.
Her heart thundered as she began her walk. The sand shifted beneath her feet with each step. Waves lapped gently at the shore, their rhythm steady and soothing. A cellist played rich, resonant tones that blended with the natural symphony around them.
With each step, she felt the weight of her past falling away. Thedeception, the covers, the constant fear and doubt. None of it mattered anymore.
Here, now, she was simply Luna. A woman in love, walking toward her future.
