Page 162 of Love Bleeds Red
“Looks like we’re all on duty tonight,” Damon says. “But since Jasper and Falin bailed early, I say they get the worst of it.”
“Good luck getting them to agree to that,” Leon says.
The cats barely glance up as we file out. They may not live with Leon and I, but they’re used to their humans randomly leaving at odd hours and coming home smelling like bleach and violence.
“Time to hunt,” Leon says quietly, and we step into the darkness.
Behind us, the apartment falls silent except for the steady buzz of the police scanner, waiting for the next call that’ll send us back out into the night.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
BAILEY - ANOTHER YEAR LATER
The iron gates are gone.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing. We pull up the long driveway in our rental car and it’s like I’m in a brand new place. I know I’m not… but my brain is struggling to understand that.
Where the iron bars once stood, now there’s just a simple sign surrounded by greenery.The Firefly Center - A Place of Healing and Hope.
Leon rests his hand on my thigh. “You doing okay, love?”
I cover his hand with mine and squeeze, answering with a simple, “Yes.” I want to say more, to compliment what I see so far, but my throat is suddenly tight.
The grounds are completely different. Where manicured lawns and pristine hedges used to be, are now filled with more walking paths, vegetable gardens, and gazebos big enough to host classes. And it’s no longer a never ending field of green emptiness, but now benches are filled with people sitting and talking quietly. A small group is doing yoga on mats under a big oak tree and in the distance, I spot a few kites flying high in the sky… probably a group of children playing.
“It’s beautiful,” I finally get out. “So full of life.”
Leon parks in a small parking area near what used to be the main entrance. Even that’s been transformed. The imposing stone steps are now flanked by colorful flower beds, and the heavy wooden doors have been replaced with glass ones that let light pour through.
We start toward the entrance, but I find myself searching for the small cottage in the distance. The place of my captivity. The place that offered both a sense of safety and confinement. Leon pulls me into his side.
“I had it torn down.” His voice is so gentle, so caring without even knowing how much that would mean to me.
I swallow hard. “Thank you.”
He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “That place didn’t deserve to be transformed. It needed to be erased.”
Just beyond where the cottage used to stand, there’s now an open field with a playground. The colorful kites I spotted earlier are coming from that direction, dancing in the breeze.
“Come on,” Leon says softly. “Let’s go find Mum.”
The moment we step inside, I’m hit with the scent of fresh bread and something sweet baking. It’s so different from the cold, antiseptic smell I remember that it almost makes me dizzy. But in a good way.
It’s not just the smell that’s changed. I barely recognize the space at all.
The dark wood paneling is now painted in soft cream and blue. The heavy drapes that would block out natural light are long gone, replaced by sheer panels that let sunshine brighten the rooms. The cold marble floors are covered with colorful rugs that muffle footsteps and make everything feel cozy.
But it’s the sounds that really hit me in the heart. Laughter echoes from somewhere deeper in the house. There’s a gentle hum of conversation. A radio playing upbeat music in the distance. This place is alive in a way it never was before.
“Bailey! Leon!”
Ada appears around a corner dressed in a yellow apron, dusted with flour. She’s practically glowing. My already full heart bursts as she pulls us in for hugs. This is exactly what she needed… a place to heal. A place where she can make a difference.
“I’ve missed you both,” she says, pulling back to look at our faces. “You’re here just in time. We finished the afternoon bread session, and the students are starting to clean up.”
“The students?” I ask.
“My baking and sewing students,” she explains with a full smile on her face. “Fifteen regulars now, all at different stages of their healing. Some have been here since we opened, others just walked through our doors last week.”
