Nora sat at her desk, typing quickly, her eyes focused on the email Mr. Smith had sent. One by one, she solved each case attached, her fingers flying across the keyboard.
Across the room, Zayan was busy dressing the kids for school. He buttoned Liam's shirt, straightened his collar, then moved on to the twins.
Lysander sat on the bed, sulking.
Zayan crouched in front of him. "Listen, son… bad moods and bad times can destroy good things. But if you fight them with what you love—like painting or drawing—you can turn it into something better. Draw your anger and frustration out on paper, and you'll feel better. I promise."
He tucked Lysander's tie into his vest. The boy finally nodded.
Nearby, Kaz was helping Liam with his sleeve, while Renna tried too.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Liam yelped.
Nora rocked Elowen gently in her arms. "Shhh, sorry, my baby…"
The front door opened.
"Hi, Nora!" Mr. Smith, Meeri, and Ciro came in.
"Hiiii, Noraaaa!" Ciro squealed, running to hug her.
"Well, hello, mini Nora," Ciro teased, watching the boy grin.
They all washed their hands—Mr. Smith included—before taking turns holding baby Elowen.
The Black Scar Lords arrived next, greeting them with loud "Heyyy!"s, followed by The Lilith.
Mr. Smith, at thirty-two, had white hair, a clean beard, and a neatly trimmed mustache. He didn't know it yet, but today he was about to reunite with the love of his life.
Vincenzo entered with Valencia, and Yasia wasn't far behind.
"Nora!" Yasia squealed, washing her hands before hugging her.
Vincenzo spotted someone across the room and froze. "Smith?"
Smith looked up. "Yo, what's up, man!"
Zayan eyed them. "Y'all know each other?"
"Yeah," Vincenzo said, "we went to uni together—me, him, and Val."
"Speaking of Val, where is she?" Smith asked casually.
"Wait—you two were lovers back then?" Zayan asked, washing his hands.
"Yeah… but she hates me now. Very much," Smith said with a sigh.
Vincenzo smirked. "She still wears the locket you gave her for her birthday."
"Same here," Smith admitted, showing the ring on his right hand. "I want her back. I miss her so much."
"I know she still loves you," Vincenzo said, "but she's angry. She thinks you married that brat from school. It broke her."
Zayan leaned in, lowering his voice. "I have an idea…"
He whispered, and both men nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Nora was with Meeri and Ciro when she caught Kian winking at Meeri. She smiled and looked away.
Valencia walked toward Vincenzo, about to speak, when her eyes softened.
"Smith…?" she breathed, spotting him.
"Hey, Val," he said, stepping toward her.
She stepped back sharply. "Don't fucking touch me." She spun on her heel and walked away.
She went to Nora. "Z, said you guys have a meeting now—down the hall."
Still holding Elowen, Nora nodded toward the room. Valencia entered… and found Smith waiting.
Her eyes rolled instantly. "No." She turned for the door—but it was locked.
"Open this door or I'll break it down!" she threatened.
Smith stepped forward, grabbed her neck gently, and pulled her into a slow, deep kiss. She froze… then melted in his arms.
When they pulled away, Smith's voice was soft. "Listen to me, mi amor. I love you so much. I've never looked at anyone else. I still have a huge portrait of us in my room. I swear, I never fell for her back in school—sure, she was after me, but my eyes were always on you. I don't want to lose you again. For years I've tried to find you, even asked your brother. Please… don't leave me alone again."
"She showed me pictures of you kissing her," Valencia said bitterly.
"Ask your brother—he was there. They were fake, meant to break us apart," Smith said firmly.
Her shoulders dropped. "…I really missed you," she admitted.
Smith tilted her chin up and kissed her again. She smiled, wrapping her arms around him.
Outside, Vincenzo watched with Nora and Zayan. "She's all grown up now," he said dramatically, blowing his nose.
Zayan chuckled.
Meanwhile, Raphael was in Catalina's room.
"I… I'm sorry," he began. "I know words can't fix what I did, but I mean it."
"I forgave you," Catalina admitted, "but my kids… they hate you."
Raphael stepped closer. "It's been a long time, Cat." He cupped her face and kissed her deeply.
She clutched his shirt, eyes closing. One kiss turned into another… and soon, they were on the bed, tangled together as in the old days.
That afternoon, the kids returned from school.
"Dad! Guess what Larry did today!" Seraphina announced with a grin.
Zayan smirked. "What happened?"
"He beat that dumbass for tearing his drawing!" she said proudly. "The bully ended up bleeding. The principal told him to calm down because he was supposed to submit the drawing for the competition today. But Larry got pissed, broke the boy's right leg, and now they want his parents at school tomorrow."
"That's amazing! I'm sooo proud of you, Larry!" Kian said.
"I'll go with you tomorrow," Zayan told Nora.
Nora called, "Lysander, come here."
He walked over, head low.
"Listen, my love—you shouldn't have broken his leg. Even if it was his fault, you should have reported him. Next time, just tell someone, okay?" she said gently, rocking Elowen in her arms.
He nodded. Zayan kissed his forehead. "I'll be in your school tomorrow, alright?"
Another nod.
That night, Nora fell asleep with Elowen and the twins beside her, while Liam dozed off in Zayan's arms—together as a family.