My boy was thriving in the new environment and was happy and spoilt by his grandparents. We did miss Aunty Alicia and living with her, but we spoke every day if only to make sure she was okay on her own. The town had welcomed us back with open arms, and that familiar sense of “home” settled in.

And then there was Owen. After his apology, I began seeing him everywhere but also not at all. He remained my dad’s physiotherapist, assisting with his recovery beyond the bounds of professional obligation. And Dad was more than receptive to his care, his condition improving beyond our expectations. I also bumped into Owen on shift, since we both worked in the same hospital.

Despite the proximity, he kept his distance, which had me questioning his motives, his actions and words. I didn’t know what to make of the whole scenario. He had apologised, which was sincere and raw. What I wasn’t prepared for was my reaction. I wanted to find out what had happened. I finally felt strong enough to know the details, although I couldn’t pinpoint why his answers would matter after so long.

Am I looking for closure? To finally make peace with the situation? Does it even matter anymore?

After Owen’s confession in the car park, I subtly dug for more information from my parents. They didn’t budge, and refused to get involved.

“You shut us out for so long, sweetheart,” Mum said, voice reserved but resolute. “You refused to hear anything that was remotely associated with him. We couldn’t even mention his name. And that’s okay because that’s how you had to heal. But, Alexis, if you want to know more, you have to ask him yourself.”

Her statement hit me with the hard slap of realism. When I had ditched town, I left everything behind, not wanting a single reminder of my life in Acacia Falls since it was so systematically linked to Owen.

I knew it was an unhealthy way to live, but for me, it was a matter of survival. However, my parents unintentionally became a part of the fallout.

In those initial months, I slowly iced them out, constantly terrified that something would be brought up to trigger me, purely based on their location and proximity to my ex. I had forgotten that I wasn’t the only one who lost something—they had lost a son and daughter, both in one hit.

It was unfair and unwarranted, and I had hurt them deeply. Things got better after I got pregnant with Austin. I had a newfound purpose—another human being depending on me to be the best version of myself.

Austin brought us back together. With a baby comes unconditional love, and there’s so much more to spare and go around.