Jora stirred at the sound of his voice, consciousness coming back in soft, gentle waves rather than all at once. For a split second she was disoriented—warm, heavy, cocooned in blankets—until his words registered, and then her eyes flew open.

“She’s awake?” she whispered, already pushing herself up a little despite the lingering exhaustion. A smile spread across her face, bright and unrestrained, the kind that came straight from her chest. “Oh—Sage,” she breathed, emotion catching just slightly.

She reached out instinctively, fingers brushing his arm and then the baby he held so carefully. Seeing Caspian nestled there, peaceful and impossibly small, grounded her all over again. “You’ve been here the whole time,” she murmured, a mix of gratitude and affection in her voice. “Thank you.”

Jora shifted, wincing only faintly as she sat up more fully, then took a steadying breath. “Okay,” she said, soft but resolute, smoothing her hair back and glancing toward the door. “Let’s do this right.”

Her gaze lifted to meet Sage’s, eyes shining. “I want her to see them together,” she added quietly. “I want her to know this isn’t something being taken from her—it’s something being added.”

She squeezed his hand once, grounding herself in him, then nodded. “I’m ready.”

Jora stirred slowly, the haze of sleep giving way to warmth first—Sage’s voice, the weight of blankets, the steady presence she’d learned to anchor herself to. Her eyes blinked open, unfocused at first, then found him… and then the tiny bundle in his arms.

Her breath caught, soft and reverent.

“Good,” she murmured, a sleepy smile curving at her lips as he explained where Lyra was. The thought of her finishing breakfast—oblivious and excited and safe—made something ease deep in Jora’s chest. She reached out automatically, fingers brushing the baby’s blanket before her hand found Sage’s wrist instead.

When he joked about where else he’d be, she let out a quiet huff of a laugh. “You’re impossible,” she whispered fondly, eyes warm. “But… thank you. For staying.”

She let him help her sit up, trusting him completely as he shifted pillows and adjusted her until she was comfortable. Jora sighed once she was settled, shoulders relaxing as much as they could after everything. At his reassurance, she nodded. “I know,” she said softly. “She’s been so patient. She’s going to be such a good big sister.”

The creak of the door drew her attention, and Jora turned just in time to see Selene usher Lyra inside.

Her heart swelled instantly.

Lyra burst in with barely contained excitement, eyes going impossibly wide as she took in the sight of the babies. Jora smiled through the sudden sting of tears, holding her arms out just a little.

“Hey, sweetheart,” she said gently, voice warm and careful not to overwhelm. “Come here. Do you want to see them?”

She glanced up at Sage then, sharing the moment with him before looking back to their daughter—ready to guide her through this, together.

Jora felt her chest tighten the moment Lyra barreled into her arms, the force of that small, familiar body grounding her in a way nothing else could. She wrapped her arms around her daughter instinctively, pressing a kiss into her hair as Lyra leaned over with such careful reverence it made Jora’s eyes sting.

“Easy, sweetheart,” she murmured softly, pride and awe lacing every word. “Just like that… you’re doing perfect.”

She watched Sage explain, watched Lyra’s face light up even brighter at the revelation, and Jora laughed breathlessly through the swell of emotion. “Two,” she echoed with a smile, brushing her thumb along Lyra’s arm. “You’re officially outnumbered now, hm?”

When Sage guided Lyra into his lap with Caspian, Jora shifted slightly to get a better look, her gaze soft and full as she watched her family come together in that quiet, sacred moment. Lyra holding her brother so carefully—so proudly—made her heart ache in the best way.

“You’re their big sister,” Jora said softly, voice steady and full of warmth. “That’s a very important job.”

Her eyes lifted to Sage then, shining and tired and so full of love it almost hurt. This—this—was everything she’d ever wanted.

Jora’s breath caught the moment Lyra’s arms curled around Caspian, her whole body going still as if she understood—instinctively—that this was something fragile and important. Jora hovered close, one hand resting lightly at Lyra’s back, the other brushing Sage’s wrist, anchoring herself to both of them at once.

She laughed softly when Lyra made her declaration, but her eyes were shining, damp despite her smile. “I know you will,” Jora said gently, her voice warm with certainty. “You already are.”

She crouched slightly so she could meet Lyra at eye level, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her daughter’s ear. “He’s very lucky to have you,” she added, glancing fondly at Caspian before looking back at Lyra. “They both are.”

Then her gaze lifted to Sage, and for a moment the world narrowed to just the two of them—everything they had survived, everything they had fought for, crystallized into this single, quiet victory. She reached out, lacing her fingers with his, squeezing once.

“We did this,” she murmured, barely above a breath. “All of it. We kept our promise.”

Jora leaned in to press a kiss to Lyra’s temple, then rested her head briefly against Sage’s shoulder, letting the sound of their daughter’s careful breathing and the baby’s soft little noises wash over her.

Nothing was missing.
Nothing was broken.

They were whole.

Jora let out a quiet, breathy laugh as she listened to Lyra whisper her promises, her hand coming up to cover her mouth for just a second as emotion threatened to spill over. She leaned into Sage when he wrapped his arm around her, fitting there easily, like it was the most natural place in the world.

“It really is,” she murmured back to him, her voice low and warm. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop being amazed by it.” By him. By them.

She watched Lyra talk to the babies with such seriousness, such care, and Jora reached out to smooth a hand over her daughter’s back, grounding herself in the moment. “You’re already doing so good,” she told Lyra softly. “They’re lucky to have you.”

Her gaze lifted to Sage then, eyes shining. She leaned her forehead briefly against his shoulder, voice barely above a whisper. “I’m so glad you’re here for this,” she admitted. “All of it.”

She stayed there, nestled into his side, one hand resting protectively near Kaiya while the other brushed Lyra’s arm, the room filled with quiet murmurs and soft baby sounds. It felt full. Complete. Like home in every sense of the word.