Nora sat back with a sigh, wiping her mouth after devouring two full trays of food.
"Damn, I'm still hungry," she mumbled, resting her head on Zayan's arm.
He chuckled, brushing her hair back.
"You've been asleep for two years, Nora. Of course you're starving."
Lysander laughed softly, and Liam, nestled in her arms, suckled gently on his pacifier. He looked up at her with wide baby eyes, content just being near her.
Suddenly, the door burst open and a chorus of familiar voices filled the room.
"Auntie Nora!"
"Aunt Nora!"
They rushed in—Aveline, Catalina, Rose, Sora, Frya, Miska, and Issca, all smiles and tears. In Sora's arms was a sweet baby girl—Akasha, her daughter with Issca. Rose stood next to her wife, Azara, holding their own baby girl, Lora.
Levi, now a tall, quiet presence, stood beside them protectively.
"Nora!" they all cried at once, rushing into a group hug that nearly knocked her over.
Nora giggled, overcome with warmth. Her arms full of family, her lap full of baby Liam, her heart overflowing.
"Easy, easy, I just woke up from a coma," she teased.
They laughed.
Liam began to crawl off her lap, scooting along the floor.
Nora sat down carefully with a groan.
She looked at Zayan and said with a pout, "My ass hurts."
He burst out laughing.
"You have been in bed for two years, baby."
Lysander grinned while Seraphina adjusted Liam's shirt.
Liam paused, then stood up. On his own.
"Uhm… Dad?" Seraphina whispered.
"Yeah, baby?" Zayan asked, not looking up.
"Liam is standing."
Zayan's head snapped around. Liam wobbled for a second, then locked eyes with his mother. Nora gasped and held out her arms.
"Come on, baby. Come to Mama!"
"Mama! Mama! Mama!!" Liam giggled and walked—three steps—right into her arms.
Everyone gasped.
Then clapped.
Nora hugged him tight, crying softly.
"Good job, baby," she whispered.
Liam, proud of himself, clapped too—joining in the celebration like the little star he was.
Later that day, Nora was discharged.
As they drove home, she looked out the car window, the sunlight hitting her face like a gentle blessing. Zayan kept stealing glances at her—unable to stop smiling.
"I missed you so much," he said quietly.
She turned to him, kissed him softly, and rubbed his face with a loving thumb.
"I'm right here now, Z."
He rested his head on her shoulder.
When they arrived at the house, Nora's jaw dropped.
"Woah… What happened to the house?!"
"I… made it bigger," Zayan said proudly.
Nora squinted at him, then grabbed his ear and yanked it down to her level.
"Zayan Kai! That house was already a mansion. Why make it bigger?"
"Ow! Ow! Ouch! Nora!" he laughed as the kids howled with laughter watching their father squirm.
Then Kian, smirking, leaned in.
"By the way… did you know your set was 40 million pounds? And your G-Wagon? 10 million."
Nora slowly turned her head.
"You said it was 10 thousand, and I paid 7 thousand! And the set? 5 thousand, right?"
"Uh-oh…" Kian backed away.
But not fast enough—Nora reached out and pulled his ear too.
"NORAAA!!" Zayan burst out laughing, nearly falling over from watching Kian twist and beg for mercy.
The house was full of chaos again—real, beautiful, loud, family chaos.
That Night
The moonlight spilled through the open windows.
Zayan lay in bed, Nora curled against him, her body wrapped around his like they had never been apart.
"I love you, Z," she whispered, fingers tracing his chest.
Zayan tightened his arms around her.
"I love you so much, Nora. More than anything in this world."
Their fingers intertwined.
Their breathing slowed.
She kissed his collarbone.
"I'm back, Z. And I'm never leaving again."
He smiled into her hair.
"My Nora… mine. Forever."