I ran my hand over my belly. The bump that was once there had now shrunk into something opposite. I used to feel self-conscious of my stomach, but now that it was gone, I was left with the feeling of slight absence. I just really missed the experience of the pregnancy.

Like most omegas, the pregnancy felt like a journey. It was hard as hell at times, but I always had a reason for pushing forward. In a way, I felt restless, so I spent all of my time with our baby Peter.

The bond an omega has with their child is something unbelievable and downright sacred. I peered into Peter’s dark eyes, endless and vast in nature. “He has your eyes,” I said while Cole drove.

“He does?” Cole asked.

“Yep,” I said. “Those dark eyes. They communicate so much conviction. He’s really destined for something.”

“Well, he doesn’t cry all that much. That’s something to be proud of,” Cole said.

I curled Peter into my arms. He blinked his eyes a few times before falling back asleep. “I’m serious, Cole,” I said.

Cole placed his right hand against my thigh and squeezed. “I know, baby. He’s the most incredible thing in the world,” he said.

We had been driving for hours today, but we were getting closer and closer toward our old time every minute. Every time I thought about seeing Jacob, my stomach seemed to quiver.

“What are we even going to say to him?” I asked.

Cole stared at the highway road, lost in thought. Finally, after a few seconds, he answered. “We’ll just tell him the truth,” he said. “What else can we do?”

“I don’t know.” I sighed and glanced out of the window at the endless fields of green. “I think I am going to tell him that I forgive him.”

“He’s a terrible person, Piper,” Cole grunted. But his eyes, lost in wonder, seemed to suggest he knew forgiveness was the best way to close a door.

I stood firm with my decision because I knew Cole would understand. “Why did you forgive your father when he was the start of all our pain?” I asked him.

Cole sat in silence, but his hand met mine. He nodded. “You’re right. We can’t hold onto grudges for the rest of our lives,” Cole said. “And if this is what it takes to move forward, then it’s just what it takes.”

“Thank you for standing with me, Cole,” I said.

“I’ll always stand by your side. We’re a team,” Cole said.

I suddenly felt a hell of a lot calmer than before. Pretty soon after that, we pulled off of the highway. We turned into the small neighborhood. All of the houses looked alike. It was so different from the city I had gotten used to.

But this was still home. Strangely, I was still connected to this place. So was Cole. “It’s weird. Every time I come back, I feel this heaviness in my stomach. But I’m not sure if it’s good or bad,” Cole said.

“Me too. I think it’s both,” I said.

We slowly pulled up to Jacob’s house. My old house. There were so many horrible memories there. It was the last place I really felt shackled to. I was back.

“You okay?” Cole asked me.

I tried to swallow, but my throat had closed. Finally, I said, “I’m fine. Just a lot of memories. I can get through this.”

“Just tell me if you want to leave. I’ll do whatever you want,” Cole said.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I want to do this. I have to do this.”

Both of us shared a glance to Peter. He was awake, but he was completely silent, waiting for us to make a move. “Well, family. Come on. Time to say goodbye to this place,” I said. “For good.”

The three of us walked up to the door. With a shaky finger, I pressed the doorbell and waited. The silence around us was deafening. Finally, we heard the sound of Jacob’s heavy footsteps against the marble floors.

The door opened slowly, revealing a tired man. Jacob was unrecognizable in the state he was in. His hair was all over the place, and his house was trashed. Inside, sat a group of people from the community, apparently concerned.

“Piper?” Jacob asked, squinting.

“Jacob,” I said.

Standing in front of me was the man I feared for so long. Only, now he didn’t seem threatening at all. He seemed weak, sad, and pathetic. I wasn’t sure what to do or say.

“What are you doing here?” Jacob asked. He stumbled back an inch, but still clung to the top of the door.

“We came to talk,” Cole said. “Can we come in?”

Jacob cleared his throat and cocked his head backward at the guests. After they didn’t react, he waved his hands at us. “Okay. Come in,” he said. “Sit down wherever.”

As I walked on the carpet, I felt my shoes step against small pieces of glass. I looked down to see that the living room mirror had been smashed in, and faint blood marks could be seen on the carpet. Jacob’s left hand was bandaged up, but poorly.

“What has happened to you?” I asked him.

Jacob laughed, but it was the kind of laugh that wasn’t funny or endearing. “Everything has happened to me,” he said. “And nothing. Life is nothing sometimes.”

“You’re drunk,” I said.

“So what if I am?” Jacob asked. “Does that go against our teachings?”

I handed Peter to Cole, gently. I wanted to say the next words with a bit more force. “Screw the teachings,” I said. “They’ve only let you down. They let us all down.”

“Only because people couldn’t keep it together,” Jacob said. “People like you. Him.” He had his finger wavering between both of us.

I kissed Peter’s head and felt the euphoria make my heart swell. “You can say whatever you want about us. I don’t mind it anymore. But when you do say those things, you have to do it here, in this home. If you come to the city, or anywhere near us, I’ll have you arrested and tried in court,” I said.

I managed to remain calm on the outside, but I was boiling on the inside. I felt a tiny bit sorry for him because he looked like he was having a crisis. But I also had a family to think about. I needed to put down some ground rules.

“I won’t let you control me any longer,” I said.

“Our relationship…” Jacob whispered.

“Our relationship is over. It never was a thing,” I said. “You can’t hit, force, or coerce love. That’s not how something grows, Jacob. I beg of you, please try to learn. If I can forgive, you can try to be a better person for yourself.”

Jacob sat silent. He nearly rolled his eyes. I didn’t expect him to change. On the inside, he was nothing more than a child. Cole leaned forward. “You should answer him,” Cole said.

“Okay. I understand. You have moved on,” Jacob said. He pointed at Peter. “Obviously, you have moved on. Congratulations.”

I was satisfied with this response. Jacob knew he couldn’t ever see me again. “No more surprise visits. No more vague threats,” Cole said, eying him.

“I hope you feel good about yourself,” Jacob said to Cole. “You destroyed a whole community.”

“Enough. All I did was destroy your clout,” Cole said. “Before we leave, I want to show you something. Not just you, Jacob. Everyone in this house.”

In his hands were the letters his father left behind, as well as the pictures. He placed everything on the coffee table and waited for them to look it over. “What is this?” Jacob asked. “Silly pictures?”

“Those are my fathers,” I said.

“Lies. Your father would never do such a thing. You were adopted,” Jacob said, laughing.

“You’re wrong, Jacob. Read the notes. My father lied to you because he lost the only person he ever loved. He thought he had to take his vengeance out on the world by rebelling against his own nature,” Cole said.

“I can’t believe a word of this,” Jacob said. The people around him grinned when Jacob’s eyes met there. They smiled out of fear.

“Just read the notes. Please,” Cole said to them. “Then, you’ll see. Love is love. It doesn’t matter who it happens with.”

Jacob read the notes, but he scoffed the whole time. However, it was evident that he was starting to get worried. You could see the truth unfold before his eyes. For some people, these type of life breakthroughs are too much to handle. The others around him stopped reading and hung their heads.

“This is why we came back,” I said. “We wanted you all to know so you can be free. There’s no point in living a life without joy. Even you deserve to know that, Jacob.”

“We hope that life can be good to you,” Cole said.

“And we both forgive you.” Those words were hard to come out of my mouth, but as soon as I said them, I felt freer than ever. We were finally closing this chapter, and it was for good this time.

“Okay,” Jacob said.

I didn’t need to stay any longer. I stood up and took Cole’s hands. Together, we walked out the front door, never looking back. We got into the car and looked at each other. “It’s over,” I said, unsure how to take it. Then, a big smile came onto my face.

“Not yet,” Cole said. “I want to see my house one more time. Then, we can go home and get ready for our wedding.”

“Deal,” I said.

We drove quietly to the old house. It looked more run down than usual. The grass was unkempt and wild. No one had moved in, despite the big “For Sale” sign that was staked in the front yard.

We walked inside the house. Almost immediately, Peter started crying out of nowhere. “Do you think he feels my father’s presence?” Cole asked, worried.

“No. I think he feels both of our uneasiness about this place,” I said. But a little part of me had to wonder about what Cole just asked.

We walked into the living room, a room we hadn’t stood in since we were kids. Cole walked around the room, tracing his fingers against the furniture and analyzing every fine detail as if to soak it all in one last time. Finally, he sat down on the old green couch. He sighed.

“Well, this is goodbye, dad,” Cole whispered. “For real this time. I need to let go of the past and start my life again. Is that okay?”

I hadn’t realized how much pain Cole held in his heart, but he was always good at keeping that side hidden from the world. An old plate that his father kept on display against a drawer curiously fell over. It crashed loudly against the floor, breaking into a multitude of pieces. Peter wailed with fright.

“It’s okay, Peter. I’m sorry. That was loud, huh?” I cooed, bouncing him in my arms. He slowly calmed down. That’s when I noticed Cole snickering to himself.

“I guess that’s my answer. My dad just had to respond with breaking a plate, didn’t he?” Cole asked. “Thanks, dad.”

“He was always pretty dramatic,” I said.

Cole stood up, looking eager to leave. But before he walked to the front door, he stooped underneath the big wardrobe closet. He reached his arm toward the back and pulled out an old teddy bear. “My old teddy. His name was Rupert,” Cole said. “This is what I came back for. He’s yours now, Peter.”

“Oh, my gosh, Peter. Look, it’s Rupert,” I said. Peter squinted and slightly reached for the doll. He was still too young to understand, but when Cole put the small bear against his chest, he hugged it. It was the most adorable thing in the world.

Weirdly, I was going to miss this place. But a big part of me just wanted to put it all behind me.

“Finally. Let’s plan that wedding,” Cole said.

We drove toward the city, never forgetting where we came from. But we also knew there was a way out. Blessed by a difficult decision, we took the one chance we had.

In the end, we were given the best gift in the world: our baby, Peter. We were shown what true love felt like, and we were never going to stand down from that.

Sometimes, the roads are unpaved and rocky. For the longest time, it felt like there was no way out. But if you try to look past the surface, you can see a smooth and bright future. It won’t be easy all of the time, but it can be doable.

Cole turned on the radio and turned the volume up, pumping his fist in the air. “Freedom,” he said.

I took his hand, holding Peter on my lap. “Freedom. Love. Family,” I said. “Those things are everything.”

“I love you, my darling,” Cole said.

“And I love you, Cole.” Our eyes turned to Peter. He winked. He was such a happy baby, who happened to love us too. That felt like a beautiful thing.