She stood beside him, looking out at the green lawn. The distance between them was still vast, and the scars of the past would never fully disappear, but the heavy shroud of deception had finally been lifted.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, watching the sun rise over the horizon.

Alistair nodded, keeping his hands in his pockets. “It’s just the beginning, Nellie. You and Sawyer deserved the truth a long time ago.”