"What took you so long?" Carmen was in the gardens when Willow pulled up the car in the driveway. She was walking towards her, before stopping and asking the man on the ladder for some suggestions. "Please keep it tighter. I don't want the kids to get tangled up if anything comes loose. Last time was a mess." She shook her head before sighing at whatever the man said and pushing some loose curls out of her face. "Just do it," she said to him, then refocused on the approaching Willow.
Carmen met her midway and hugged her. "Eric said you left early. Was it traffic?"
Willow had the urge to tell Carmen everything. The two of them had gotten closer after Ronin died, sharing anything and everything throughout their lives. The only secret Willow ever kept from Carmen was her affair with Dan. Not because she didn't trust Carmen with her secret, but because Dan himself had asked for some time before revealing anything to their families.
But now that she had changed the past and saved Ronin from the fire, she wondered how their relationship would have worked out. Could they have been just as close to each other as they were in this timeline? Or had something changed as it did with her relationship with Dan?
Dan. Thinking about him brought another pang to her chest.
For a moment, she couldn't even breathe.
Willow smiled, reacting carefully. "You can say that."
Carmen pulled away, wearing a puzzled expression. "The roads are getting busier day by day."
"And don't forget about the pollution!" Willow interjected with a mock-serious tone, her lips twitching with suppressed laughter.
"Of course," Carmen said, shaking her head. "I wish NASA could find another habitable planet sooner. I'd book a plot there ASAP."
They both burst into laughter, and for the first time, Willow felt a surge of ease coursing through her veins. But then she was nervous again because as much as she wanted to let everything reveal itself, she was too impatient to wait.
She cleared her throat. "So, where is everyone?"
She looked around as they both walked towards the gardens. Several maids and servants were rushing around the place, decorating the garden for what looked like a celebration. However, there was no sign of Ronin.
Willow sucked in a deep breath, wondering if she should ask about him instead. But for some reason, she felt reluctant to bring up what used to be a painful reminder. When Ronin died, Carmen rarely talked about him without breaking into tears. Usually, she held herself more decisively and left everyone impressed by her confidence. But when it came to the man she had loved so deeply, she always felt incomplete, as if life without him wasn't even worth living. It was as if when he died, he took a part of her that nothing could ever replace.
"I sent them out," Carmen said, taking her hair and piling it on the top of her head in a lazy bun. She allowed a few loose strands of her dark hair to swirl on either side of her beautiful face, looking far younger than she did in the previous timeline. "Do you really think they will let me work in peace if I let them linger around? You know how troublesome the two of them are."
"The two of them." Willow's fear curled back down. It was obvious Carmen was talking about Ronin and Alice. Who else could she be referring to?
Without even realizing it, her face split into a grin. Her heart finally forgot the pain and raced with new vigor. "Oh, I know. Ronin was always the one with trouble constantly following him around. He couldn't stay still for the life of him."
Carmen chuckled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Guess some things just never change, huh?"
It was then Willow noticed the ring on Carmen's finger, the diamond glinting against the rays of the evening sun. Of course, Ronin and Carmen were married now. She couldn't be happier. At least someone got the happy ending they deserved.
"Oops, where are my manners?" Carmen interrupted Willow's thoughts. "What'll it be? Coffee or your usual milk tea?"
"Milk tea sounds awesome. Thanks."
Carmen grinned. "Sure thing. Be right back. Feel free to check things out. Give me a holler if there's anything you want changed."
"No worries," Willow reassured her, eager to pitch in and be part of something that made her heart flutter. "I've got it covered."
Willow felt the back of her neck prickle after Carmen left, sensing someone's eyes on her. Though when she turned around to see who it was, she found no one. It was as if she had imagined the whole eerie feeling.
Strange. She always thought she was good at perceiving such things.
Perhaps it was nothing. It could be her paranoia playing tricks on her. After that incident with James, she always felt vulnerable whenever she was left alone. She wouldn't admit that, of course, not wanting to worry anyone on her behalf. But the anxiety was always there, the thought that no place could ever be safer.
Willow ran a hand through her hair and decided to focus on lending a hand and helping Carmen organize the dinner. She didn't know what the occasion was—not that it mattered. As long as all of them were together, she could ask for nothing more.
* * *
Finally, the time for the celebration arrived.
The sky had darkened and several cars started pulling up in the driveway. The Logans were a huge family, with brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts living all around the world. It was extremely rare for all of them to gather in one place, but it seemed Carmen and Ronin had made it possible—the exception that brought Willow another burst of happiness.
She watched as family members poured out of the cars, their laughter and chatter filling the air with warmth and excitement. She greeted familiar faces with hugs and smiles, heading for the garden where the preparations for dinner and drinks were being made.
And then she saw him: Ronin, in the flesh. She couldn't believe her eyes.
He was actually there, very much alive, as he walked in and joined the party, greeting the first person he stumbled upon.
Willow couldn't move. She couldn't blink. She couldn't even think.
Her eyes welled up, and her heart felt as if it couldn't be more pleased.
Back when she woke up from the coma and heard of his death, she remembered the way her heart had broken. She remembered the pain no medicine or therapist in the world could ease.
He was like a beacon of her sanity, and she was terribly happy to have him back.
When Ronin's gaze fell on her, his handsome face split into a wider smile.
"Look who finally decided to show up," he said to her, heading over to where she stood near the table and engulfing her lean frame in his strong arms.
Warm. That's how she felt. Home. That's what he smelled like.
"You know me," she quipped, pulling away. "Never one to turn down free food and drinks."
He chuckled, the sound a melody to her ears. He shook his head. "Dad and Eric are still on their way. Enjoy the drinks and food until I hop into a quick shower and join you."
She smirked, swirling the drink in her hand. "Sure. But don't blame me if you end up with only leftovers. I tend to have a huge appetite after a few glasses of wine."
"Of course, you do," he rolled his eyes. "It was always a mystery why you never gained any extra weight."
"Well," she shrugged, playful. "What can I say? A woman never reveals her secrets."
Ronin laughed, then disappeared momentarily to freshen up, leaving her to enjoy the festivities on her own. She wandered through the crowd, savoring the delicious food and drinks, feeling the joy of the moment wash over her.
However, her chat with one of her cousins got cut short when someone accidentally bumped into her legs from behind. Willow turned and scanned the area, only to spot a little boy no older than four near her feet. He looked adorable in his tiny black tuxedo, his hair styled to perfection in a similar fashion.
"Sorry," the boy grinned before dashing off somewhere she couldn't keep track of.
Willow grinned to herself before remembering she still needed to find Alice. She politely excused herself from the group of gossipers and headed toward the mansion, grabbing another glass of wine on the way.
"Willow! Over here," she heard someone call out to her. She turned around and smiled at the sight of her mom, dad, Eric, and a young woman with blonde hair and a blue dress she didn't recognize. But there would be time for introductions later.
Not now, however. She had to find Alice.
Willow signaled to Eric to find him sooner before heading up the steps and slipping into the mansion through the back door. Some of the older guests were lounging around the drawing room, holding drinks and plates of snacks. The maids were scurrying all over the place, trying their best to keep up with the demands of the ever-dramatic Logan family.
"Can I go now, please? This is getting boring," a familiar voice whispered into Willow's ear, and a smile automatically crossed her face.
"Finally," Willow thought to herself before following the voice.
"It's only been five minutes, sweetheart," another voice chimed in, likely from someone Alice was talking to. "Have a little patience."
"But I wanna go play," Little Alice pouted. "Can't I see her later?"
"Nope!"
"Please?"
"No!"
"Pretty please!"
"Alice!"
"Fine," she grumbled before letting out a sigh. "You're bossy!"
Willow stumbled upon Alice, her back turned to her. Though she hadn't expected to find Molly with her.
"Hey," Molly greeted her first before Alice took the cue and turned on her heels.
The way Alice's eyes widened and excitement crossed her little adorable face, Willow felt a sense of relief.
"Aunt Will!" Alice ran up to Willow and Willow did not think twice before sinking to her knees and hugging the girl.
"Hey, beautiful. How have you been?" Willow asked, her voice filled with genuine warmth as she held Alice close.
Alice beamed up at her. "I've been good, Aunt Will! Did you see Ryan? I promised to find him as soon as we got here."
Willow frowned. Sadly, she didn't know any Ryan. She shook her head. "No. I haven't. Who is he—" she was about to say when Molly stepped behind Alice and put her hands on her shoulders.
"God, you're so stubborn, Alice. Jasper sure spoils you too much." She shook her head, before letting her gaze meet Willow. "So sorry for this. She's a hyperactive kid and doesn't know when to stop. She takes after her dad, of course."
Willow could see that. Ronin had always been the stubborn one too. She rose to her height and patted Alice's head. "Don't worry about it. She's family."
Molly smiled, and just as things seemed to be going smoothly, Alice noticed someone behind Willow, and her eyes widened.
"Daddy!" Little Alice didn't hesitate. She skipped past Willow and went straight into the arms of the man standing behind her. "Mommy is being unfair, daddy. She's not letting me play."
Molly pouted. "Look at the little troublemaker. The moment she saw her dear daddy, she wants no one else."
Willow chuckled as she turned around slowly. "Of course, she does. Like you said, she takes after her d—" but she couldn't finish that sentence.
Because the man Alice ran up to and called her daddy was not Ronin but someone else.
He was Jasper.
And that made no fucking sense at all.
A/N: Oops, looks like not everything is as Willow thought :P