Days later, after the authorities had finalized their investigation and the justice system began to move in earnest, Santiago and Amara took a moment to reflect on everything they had been through. They sat together in their new home in Rome, watching Israel play with Luna. The world was different now, quieter, and for the first time in a long while, there was a sense of normalcy.
"You think things will ever go back to the way they were?" Amara asked, her voice soft.
Santiago thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I don't think they will. But maybe that's not such a bad thing. We've been through too much to pretend like things can go back to normal. What matters now is that we have each other."
Amara smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "We'll make our own normal."