The quiet town where Liora had grown up no longer felt like a sanctuary—it felt like a graveyard of dreams. Every corner reminded her of the future she had almost had. The people smiled, but their eyes lingered on her too long, whispering just out of earshot.
Liora stayed behind her mother's closed doors, rarely speaking, barely eating. Her body ached, but it was her heart that bled.
They tried. Rivan and Keal. They left flowers on the gate, letters tucked under the door, voice messages filled with trembling voices saying, "We're sorry, please, let us explain… please come home."
But she didn't answer.
She couldn't.
Until one evening, her mother barged into her room, waving an envelope in her hand. "Liora, we need to pay the property tax. I need money."
Liora blinked at her. "Okay, I'll check my account."
She opened her banking app.
Zero.
She refreshed it.
Still zero.
Her hands started shaking.
"What is this?" her mother asked, voice sharp.
"I… I don't know. It was a joint account. I never thought they'd—" Her throat closed.
Her mother's face twisted. "They took everything? You gave them access to all your savings? Blind trust? Liora, how foolish can you be?!"
"I—"
"You always believed love was enough. Now look. Left with nothing, used like a doll, and you still cry for them."
Those words shattered her.
She packed her shame in silence and walked out the next morning. She wouldn't go back to them. But she couldn't stay under this roof, either—not like this.
By afternoon, she had a job at a cozy little café five blocks away. The pay was nothing compared to her old life, but she scrubbed dishes and served coffee with a quiet dignity. She didn't smile. She didn't talk. But she showed up.
Rivan found her first.
He sat outside the café for hours, watching her through the window. Her hair tied back, sleeves rolled up, face pale and thinner than he remembered. She didn't look at him once.
Keal came next. He stood across the street at night, hands in his coat pocket, eyes glassy.
They didn't try to talk. They knew she wouldn't listen.
Just watching her breathe became their new kind of prayer.
Her birthday was in a few hours.
She didn't remember. She didn't care.
Her only wish now was to feel nothing.
The sun had already set when she stepped out of the café after her shift. The street was empty, cold wind brushing against her skin. Her feet dragged with exhaustion.
Then—
A car engine.
Screeching tires.
A black van pulled up beside her.
The back door swung open.
Two masked figures jumped out.
Before she could scream—
A needle.
A prick in her neck.
Her body slumped before she hit the ground.
The world spun, blurred, then blacked out completely.
The van door slammed shut.
The vehicle vanished into the night.
___
Liora's eyelids fluttered open, heavy and confused. Her head pounded gently, but the pain was nothing compared to the shock coursing through her.
Where…?
She sat up.
Soft velvet sheets covered her body. The air smelled of roses and cinnamon. A strange warmth kissed her skin. She looked around.
This wasn't her room.
The walls were painted soft cream, delicate fairy lights hung on one side, and large floor-to-ceiling windows let in a pale moonlight. She slipped off the bed, feet touching warm, smooth wood… no, soft petals.
Roses.
A trail of red and white roses, leading to an open door.
Cautiously, barefoot and still dazed, she followed it. The hallway curved and opened into a grand stairwell. Her hands trembled as they touched the bannister. She made her way down, step by step.
Then—
Her foot hit something round.
She gasped and stepped back.
A balloon.
Large. Silver. Then another.
POP!
Confetti exploded above her.
Lights flickered on one by one.
Then—
"Surprise."
The word echoed softly in the warm light.
There they stood.
Rivan and Keal.
Both dressed in soft white shirts, hair slightly messy, eyes shining with emotion and exhaustion.
Tears burst from Liora's eyes before she could say a word.
They came closer. Slowly. As if afraid she'd run again.
She didn't.
They wrapped her in their arms—one from each side—holding her like she was something precious, something they feared losing again.
"We're sorry," Rivan whispered into her hair.
"We can't live without you," Keal added, voice thick with emotion. "You're everything, Liora."
"You spent all our savings on this?" she whispered.
They nodded. "We bought this apartment for you," Keal said softly. "A place to grow. A place for a future."
"For a family," Rivan added, kissing her forehead. Then her cheeks. Then her lips. "Let's have a baby. A baby that belongs to all three of us."
Keal pulled her closer, his voice cracking with longing. "Only one? I want many. A full house. With tiny feet running around. Laughter echoing through every room."
Liora laughed through her tears.
They held each other for what felt like forever. No words. Just hearts speaking in silence.
Then, cake.
Simple. Homemade. "Happy Birthday, Liora" written in clumsy icing.
Candles lit.
A soft wish.
Tears fell again.
They sat together on the floor, cake plates on their laps, backs leaning against each other like puzzle pieces.
"We were so busy planning this," Keal said gently, "we didn't notice we were losing you."
"I thought I was the one losing you both," Liora whispered.
"I took money to pay for the furniture. Keal used it to book the florist and planners. We thought we had time. We thought you knew."
"I didn't," she admitted. "And I was scared. I thought you'd moved on… without me."
"Never," Rivan said. "You are home."
"We'll never stop proving that," Keal added.
They fell asleep tangled together on the living room floor.
Liora's heart still trembled—but for the first time in weeks, it trembled with hope ...