---- Chapter 23 A few weeks later, Olivia and Ben were celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. 2 They'd had a small, beautiful ceremony in their garden two years prior, surrounded by their closest friends and family. Maya was Olivia's maid of honor. Captain Flint had served as an unofficial, squawking ring bearer. 2 For their anniversary, Ben surprised Olivia with a trip to the Oregon coast. They rented a small cabin overlooking the ocean, the waves crashing against the rocks below. They walked on the beach, collected seashells, watched the sunset paint the sky in fiery colors. That night, curled up by the fire, Ben handed Olivia a small, velvet box. Inside was a locket. Simple, silver, heart-shaped. "Open it," Ben said, his eyes sparkling. Olivia opened the locket. On one side was a tiny picture of Ben, smiling. On the other, a picture of her, the one from the beach, years ago. Ava, before Ethan, before the darkness. The picture she had saved from the USB drive. Tears welled in Olivia's eyes. "How...?" "Maya," Ben said, smiling. "She's a good secret keeper." Olivia looked at the picture of her younger self. Ava Miller. Full ---- of hope, full of dreams. She hadn't been erased. She had been... integrated. She was a part of Olivia Carter. A part of her journey. A part of her strength. "Thank you," Olivia whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "It's the most beautiful gift I've ever received." Ben kissed her softly. "You are the most beautiful gift, Olivia. My resilient, joyful, hummingbird." Olivia smiled, a deep, contented smile that reached her eyes, her soul. She was home. In every sense of the word. Loved, cherished, and utterly, completely, gloriously free.