Chapter 22 : Tall , Hot , Cold , and Dark Sitka wasn't harsh - it was a quiet kind of coldness , the kind that wrapped around your body like a warning and a welcome at once. I had started to like it , the silence of snow - dusted mornings , the soft crunch of boots against gravel roads . It felt far away from everything we'd left behind - like our pain , our past , could no longer find us here . Liam adapted faster than I thought he would . There were still nights he asked if monsters could follow people across oceans , and I'd press my palm to his chest and whisper , " You're safe . Mommy's here . " That was enough - for both of us . We lived in a small two - bedroom cabin just outside of town . Nothing fancy , but the air was clean , and the neighbors minded their own business . I found a job at a local bookstore that doubled as a café . I brewed coffee in the mornings , organized shelves in the afternoon , and tucked Liam in every night with a different story . Routine was our new rhythm . And peace was finally within reach . We deserved it after all the shit that we'd been through . Neil had been a quiet presence throughout our move . He helped with the paperwork , the relocation logistics , even accompanied me to meetings with immigration consultants . Never pushy . Never expectant . Just ... there . Ready to protect us . Show his unconditional affection . Be our support system . And that morning , he was there again , smiling as he stood at the foot of our porch . " Thought I'd take my two favorite people to an amusement park today , " Neil said , holding up two tickets and a folded map . " There's one in town for the weekend . Rides , snacks , snow cones . " Liam squealed . " Really ? " I raised a brow . " I didn't even know Sitka had a fairground . " " Pop - up ," Neil shrugged . " Surprise ." It wasn't a grand gesture . But it was exactly what Liam needed . And maybe what I needed , too . We drove into town in Neil's truck , the heater blasting and Liam chattering away in the backseat . At the park , Liam's laughter rang louder than any carnival bell . He ran between booths , munched cotton candy , begged for another ride on the Ferris wheel . I stole glances at Neil when I thought he wasn't looking . He looked content - like he belonged there , beside us . When Liam climbed onto his shoulders to watch a fire - breather perform , I felt a weight lift inside me . The world didn't feel so cruel anymore . We had survived . We were healing . After sunset , we returned home , arms full of stuffed toys and sticky fingers . Liam passed out on the couch mid - bite of a funnel cake . I carried him to bed , kissed his forehead , and tiptoed back to the living room . Neil was waiting with two mugs of cocoa . " I know this isn't much , " he said , offering me a cup , " but I like this . Being here . With you . " I didn't answer right away . I watched the snow through the window . " It feels different here . Quieter . " He nodded . " You deserve this kind of peace of mind . " I smiled at him . " So do you ." We sat in silence , the comfortable kind , until a knock came at the door . It was late - too late for visitors . Neil and I exchanged a glance . My heart ticked up , a familiar unease crawling under my skin . I walked slowly to the door and peeked through the peephole . I froze on the spot . Why the hell not ? Standing outside , hair windswept , eyes sunken , jacket damp from travel - was Zach . I hesitated to open the door . It was as if my hand numbed painfully but in reality it was shaking badly against the jamb . Neil stood , his expression tightening . " Who is it ? " I turned to Neil . " It's a ghost from my past , " I said , gathering all the strength in my body . " Zach ? " he carefully questioned . " Yeah . I don't have an idea how he found us . " I shook my head vehemently and blurted out a large breath . " Ari , please ... Open up for me , baby , " Zach called out from the other side . I pulled a deep breath and slightly opened the door . Zachary didn't look like himself . He looked thinner . Pale . Tired in a way no sleep could fix . He spoke before I could . " I didn't come to cause trouble . I just ... needed to see him . Needed to see you . " I didn't reply . Behind me , Neil stepped forward . " You should go . " But Zach's eyes were locked on mine . " Please . Just one conversation . Then I'll disappear . " My chest tightened . Liam . Our new life . The peace I fought so hard to build . But a part of me - one I thought I'd buried - still stirred . Zach hadn't expected the pain to be this physical . Sitka felt like another planet - cold and brutal and unfamiliar - but he had no choice . Every morning in the Aspen was an echo chamber , his apartment a tomb of regrets . He stopped working . Lost weight . Missed meetings . Tiffany had staged an intervention . Even Celine - before being transferred to a facility - had sent word : " You always ruin good things . " But Arianne wasn't a ' thing . ' She was the only part of his life that ever felt real. When he found her address through an old immigration contact , he booked the flight without thinking . Now , standing on her porch , he saw what he had lost . Her smile wasn't his anymore . The man inside her home wasn't just company . Zach saw it all , the way Neil hovered , the ease between them . And it broke him in a quiet , gutting way . He didn't yell . Didn't beg . He just looked at Arianne and whispered , " I know I'm late . But I came here because I needed to tell you ... I still love you . Even if I don't deserve you anymore . " Then he looked at Liam's drawing pinned to the door - a family of three , hand in hand- and his voice cracked . " I'll go now . " But Arianne didn't close the door . Not yet ... Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!