Once, that scar had been the most terrifying thing I'd ever seen.
Now it was simply part of a face I knew completely.
Not because I could see it.
But because the man behind it had finally stopped hiding.
Nigel smiled.
"What?"
I shook my head.
"Nothing."
He laughed softly.
"You're staring again."
I smiled.
"I'm allowed."
He kissed my forehead.
"Always."
I looked toward the children's bedrooms.
Their doors were slightly open.
I could hear Leo talking in his sleep.
Iris had left a book beside her bed.
The house smelled faintly of birthday cake and flowers.
Everything was ordinary.
And after everything we'd endured, ordinary felt extraordinary.
I took Nigel's hand.
Then whispered:
**"For twenty years, I dreamed of opening my eyes and seeing the world."**
He looked at me.
I smiled through my tears.
**"But the greatest miracle wasn't discovering what the world looked like."**
I glanced toward the hallway.
