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Chapter 30 – Arya's POV
It had been two weeks since that rooftop date. Two weeks since Damon kissed me like I was the center of his world and promised we'd begin again.
We were still learning how to move around each other without the shadows of our past whispering too loudly. But each morning was softer, every touch warmer. Liam was thriving in the glow of our slow healing. He'd started drawing pictures of "Mommy and Daddy holding hands," taping them to the fridge with pride.
And today, we had a visitor.
"Is she here yet?" Damon called from the hallway.
"She just pulled up," I said, peeking through the front window.
A black car door opened, and out stepped Amara, Damon's younger sister — all smiles, curls bouncing, and bright yellow sundress billowing in the wind.
I opened the front door just as she reached the steps. "Amara!"
"Arya!" She squealed and pulled me into a warm, surprisingly tight hug.
Her arms wrapped around me like we hadn't seen each other in years. In truth, it had only been a couple of months — but after everything Damon and I had gone through, it felt like a lifetime.
"I'm so happy to see you!" she said as she pulled back, her eyes shining. "You look beautiful. Glowing, actually!"
I laughed. "That might be because I actually slept last night for the first time in forever."
"And your skin is all soft and pretty — wait… are you pregnant again?" she whispered, eyes wide.
I choked on a laugh. "No! Definitely not. Just… happy."
Her gaze softened. "You really are."
Damon appeared behind me, scooping his sister into a side hug. "Still asking people if they're pregnant before they even sit down?"
She rolled her eyes. "I'm just observant. Don't be rude — help me with my bag."
Amara stayed for dinner, filling the kitchen with laughter and nonstop chatter. She had a way of lighting up a room — something Damon and I both admired. It wasn't until Liam had been tucked into bed and the three of us sat out on the balcony sipping lemonade that the conversation turned more personal.
"So…" she said, looking between us with a knowing grin. "You two. Reconciled. Reconnected. Redeemed. How are we feeling?"
Damon reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers on the small table between us. "Better. Learning. One step at a time."
Amara placed her chin in her palm and sighed dramatically. "It's about time. Honestly, Arya, there were moments I wanted to shake both of you. But especially this one—" she pointed at her brother, "—with his whole 'emotionally unavailable statue' routine."
Damon groaned. "You're never going to let that go."
"Not until I walk into your house and see framed photos of you two kissing on every wall."
I laughed. "He's not that kind of guy."
"Yeah, well, I can dream." She leaned back, a soft smile replacing her playful teasing. "But seriously. I'm proud of you both. What you're doing… it takes courage. Letting love back in after being hurt, that's not easy."
Her voice had dropped a little, and I could feel something shift in her tone. There was tenderness there. But also something else.
Longing.
"Everything okay?" I asked gently.
She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'm just…" Her gaze turned to the stars above us. "I'm really happy for you both. Truly. And I want that kind of love for myself, too."
I glanced at Damon, who looked surprised, maybe even a little guilty.
"I didn't know you were… looking for anything serious," he said softly.
Amara shrugged. "I wasn't. Not really. I kept telling myself I was fine being alone. But when I see you two — the way Arya looks at you now, the way you don't mess it up like you used to — it makes me think… maybe I want that. The real thing."
I reached over and took her hand. "You'll find it. You have such a big heart, Amara."
She smiled, but it was faint. "I keep dating guys who say they want something real, but the moment I start dreaming out loud — about commitment, family, building something meaningful — they bolt."
"You've always known what you want," Damon said quietly. "That's a strength, not a weakness."
"I just want someone to look at me the way you look at Arya," she whispered. "Like she's the only person in the world. I want someone who's not afraid to fight for me. To choose me, even when it's hard."
My chest ached a little at her words.
"I didn't always look at her like that," Damon admitted. "But I should have. I see it now."
Amara smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's okay. People grow. Sometimes you have to lose each other to know how much you want to hold on."
We sat in silence for a moment, the breeze soft around us, the moon glowing above.
"I'm glad I came," she said eventually. "Being here… seeing you two like this… it gives me hope."
"You'll find someone who sees you for everything you are," I said sincerely. "Someone who doesn't want to dim your light."
She looked at me with watery eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Maybe he's out there. Or maybe I'll be single forever and adopt six cats and live in a treehouse."
Damon chuckled. "At least get a normal house. Please."
She stuck out her tongue. "No promises."
We laughed together, and in that moment, the bond between us deepened. She wasn't just Damon's sister anymore. She was family — mine too.
When she finally got up to leave, she hugged me tighter than before.
"Thank you for giving my brother another chance," she whispered in my ear. "He needed you more than he ever knew."
"I needed him too," I whispered back.
She pulled away, winked, and whispered, "And if you do end up pregnant again, I want to be the godmother."
"Goodnight, Amara."
As we closed the door behind her, Damon wrapped his arm around my waist.
"She's right, you know," he said.
"About what?"
"You're glowing."
I looked up at him, heart full. "So are you."
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