Sienna
The clouds look pink and purple by the light of the sunset.
Am I dreaming?
Am I really going home? To LA?
I can hardly believe this is reality. I can hardly believe I’m going home safely, in one piece, with Nathan by my side.
Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined I’d be this happy.
I have Nate by my side, but I’ve lost my father.
I blame Edison Shaw for this. He’s the one who took away my father, and he’s the one who took away Nate, in a way.
I’ve gone through the phases of grief like nobody could imagine. Grief is a lonely thing, and my pain from losing my Daddy is immeasurable.
I’ve learned something though.
No matter how hard the road might seem, things always get better. By going through something so hard, I’ve learned that I’m actually stronger than I could’ve known.
The black night of unending pain threatened to ravage me and to take me down. But I persisted. No matter how bleak my circumstances seemed to be, I kept on living, one foot in front of another, one day at a time.
And I’ve come through the other side a little more battle-scarred, but brave, nonetheless.
I used to value my life because it was safe and simple.
Nothing important ever happened to me, and I liked it that way. I live a peaceful existence. I didn’t know what hardship meant.
And then I was kidnapped. That fateful day when everything changed. I saw my father murdered in front of my eyes.
That changes a person.
I had to go within and face the deeper shadows inside of myself. Nate was there the entire time to bring me out of the darkness and back to the light if I ever lost my way.
I’m stronger because of what I went through.
And even now looking out over the clouds from inside of the private jet, I feel a certain sense of serenity.
I know my dad is with me still, forever engraved on my heart.
I’m sure seeing him fall to the ground in a pool of his own blood wasn’t my final goodbye.
For some reason, I feel his comforting presence all around me, urging me to go on and to be strong.
I feel like maybe even I can make him proud. I’m sure I do.
At least that’s the hope.
The journey has been long and arduous, but I’ve made it through. I have come out the other side, and I’m stronger for it.
Nate squeezes my hand.
He’s dressed in a suit, and he smells like cologne.
I smile up at him.
“Like the view, baby?” he says.
“Yes, because it’s leading me home,” I respond.
“So it’s got to be LA, huh?”
I look at him before replying, “Yes, it has to be LA. This is my home.”
“Okay then, my princess, you can have anything you want. Especially after everything you’ve been through.”
His words soothe me. His demeanor sets me at ease.
“Nate? Are you sure you’re okay with being in LA? I know it holds a lot of bad memories for you.”
He takes my hand to his lips and kisses it. The feeling of his hot mouth on my skin makes desire rise in my body.
“I’ll go to the ends of the earth Sienna, even to LA,” he says.
I settle back in my seat and sip the champagne that he offers me. I’m grateful for the drink.
I talked to my mother. She knows I’m coming, but I still haven’t seen her since this whole thing happened.
Will she be as changed as I am? Will she be able to forgive Nate for his part in all of this?
In truth, I see things from his side now. If only I had seen it earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have tried to escape so often.
The thing is, I could never have imagined what a horrible man Edison Shaw was if I hadn’t seen them up close and personal. The man behind the legend was so much worse. It wasn’t until I had danger breathing down my neck, threatening to rape me, between my thighs, that it all started to sink in.
Nate kept me as his prisoner because he had to. He would’ve done anything to keep me away from Shaw.
And that’s part of the learning curve too, I guess. I’ve had to learn to trust Nate. I’ve had to come to understand that he only has my best interest at heart all the time.
The plane starts its descent, and I can see the familiar landmarks of LA.
Home at last.
We touch down, and I finish my champagne.
There’s a limousine waiting for us as usual. Nate would have it no other way.
We get into the car, and the cool air is a welcome relief from the LA heat. It’s always hot here. We drive home, to the Rose estate, and I find myself feeling oddly nervous.
I’m never nervous to go home.
Maybe that’s because I’ve always gone home to my father and mother’s open arms. Life is gonna be different without Daddy. I can’t say I’ll ever be normal again.
This is my new normal.
Having seen the dangerous side of life, I can say I’m stronger for it, but I still wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
“You okay?” Nate asks.
“Yes,” I take in a deep breath.
“Well, you look sensational,” he says, eyeing my white silky dress.
The limousine meanders through the long driveway leading up to my parent’s estate.
As soon as I see the mansion, all of my nerves dissipate.
We pull up to the huge front doors, and I get out before the car even stops. I run to the doors, open them, and rush inside.
“Mom? Mommy?” I cry. “Where are you?”
I see her at the top of the stairs, tears forming in her eyes.
“Sienna,” she says, almost as if she can’t believe it I’m really here.
“It’s okay. It’s me,” I say.
I run up the stairs to my mother and dissolve into her arms. She holds me in a warm embrace. Tears flow freely between us at our reunion.
Neither one of us can believe it.
“I miss Daddy,” I say.
“Me too,” she says, smoothing my hair.
“Are you okay?” I ask. “Without him?”
She looks at me for a long time before responding, “Yes, because Sienna, I know he’s still with us, somehow. I feel him, don’t you?”
I do.
I do feel my father around me all the time. In his mansion or fighting for my life in the heart of New York City, he’s still with me.
I know he’s there watching out for me.
Nate walks in, and my mom goes down the stairs to greet him.
“Nathan, thank you for taking care of our daughter. She’s lucky to have found you.”
He pulls me to his side, and I wrap my arms around his waist.
“It was my pleasure, Mrs. Rose. It’s nice to see you again,” he says to her.
“Please, come join us outside on the patio. I’ve had the chef make up some hors-d’oeuvres,” my mom says, forever being the hostess.
And I sink into this moment.
And I feel at last content.
I’m with my mother at last. And nothing could equal that.
But even as I walk the familiar halls of the mansion, I know that my true home is with Nathan now.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.