Dahlia and the Garden of Light - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

The plane touched down just after dusk. The sky over their homeland was awash in amber and rose, the horizon stretching wide and familiar. Dahlia sat by the window, eyes tracing every line of land below, her heart beating louder than the engines.
Amy leaned her head against Jack’s shoulder, half-asleep, sun-touched and peaceful. Her engagement ring caught the last bit of sunlight. Markus, across the aisle, watched the clouds fade, his hand resting just close enough to Dahlia’s to feel the warmth between them.
They were home.
Arrival Gate – The Welcome
William met them first. He stood tall in his long coat, cane in one hand, smile deep in his eyes. But when Dahlia stepped into view, the smile softened into something older—wetter. His arms wrapped around her in silence.
"My girl," he whispered into her hair. “You grew again.”
Antonio stood behind him, arms crossed like always. But the moment he saw her—dust-streaked, tired, and radiant—he stepped forward fast. He pulled her in and clutched her to his chest.
“You’re safe. You’re home,” he said, voice hoarse.
“Missed you too,” she murmured against his shoulder.
Amy was next. She was caught mid-laugh as Eliot barreled into her with a whoop, lifting her off the ground like she weighed nothing.
“You brought back a fiancé?!” Eliot crowed. “You were supposed to bring magnets or snacks!”
“I brought a marine biologist!” Amy grinned.
Christian stepped in with a warm handshake for Jack. “So. Coral, huh?”
Jack smiled. “And her.”
Theo appeared beside them with a flash of energy. “Let me guess—you swim, you surf, and you think you can beat me in jiu-jitsu?”
Jack laughed. “Only if you teach me.”
“Careful,” Amy warned. “He’s part dolphin.”
The Outsider at the Edge
Markus stood back, watching the flood of love swirl around Amy and Jack like a tide. He shifted his weight, suddenly unsure of his place.
Dahlia caught it instantly. She turned, reached for his hand, and said only:
“Come meet my roots.”
William glanced at Markus, as if assessing him from head to toe. “So this is the one who held up a building with sheer willpower.”
Markus offered a polite nod. “With Dahlia’s help.”
Antonio stepped forward, unreadable. “Army?”
“Yes, sir. Logistics and search teams.”
“And how long have you known my daughter?”
Markus glanced at Dahlia. “Eight days. Each one earned.”
That gave Antonio pause. Then, after a long silence, he extended his hand.
“You’ll learn fast around here. Come in.”
Dinner and Firelight
The house was alive that night. Pots clanged in the kitchen. Bread warmed in the oven. Chicken roasted with herbs from Dahlia’s secret shelf. Laughter echoed through the halls.
At the dinner table, they crammed shoulder to shoulder — family, guests, old roots and new blooms.
Christian poured wine. “So, Jack. What’s scarier — sharks or Amy?”
“Sharks,” Jack said instantly. “At least they don’t make you explain your feelings.”
Amy threw a roll at him. Everyone laughed.
Theo turned to Markus, a hint of challenge in his grin. “So, how do you feel about sparring?”
“I’ve been in enough rubble for one month,” Markus said dryly. “But I’ll spar. Just not tonight.”
William raised his glass. “To those who leave and return. And to the seeds they bring home.”
Everyone clinked glasses. Even Markus.
The Garden Beneath the House
Later, under the soft hum of porch lights and the distant rhythm of music inside, Dahlia led Markus down the garden path.
The secret garden opened before them like a breath.
Vines glowed faintly along the archways. Lilies turned toward her as they passed. The ground seemed to hum with slow, knowing life.
Markus crouched near a low bush of golden poppies. “This place… it feels like it’s watching me.”
“It is,” Dahlia said. “But it’s not judging. Just listening.”
They reached the clearing. Dahlia knelt and pressed her hand to the soil. She drew out a small seed — rough-edged, dark with promise — and placed it into the dirt.
Markus kneeled beside her. “How long before it grows?”
“A season. A year. Maybe longer. But it always starts with faith.”
He placed his hand over hers. “Then I’ll be here when it does.”
They sat in silence, two warriors in stillness, the garden alive around them.
Behind them, the kitchen windows glowed. Inside, family danced to old records, laughter spilled through the open windows, and new lives blended into old ones.
Later That Night
Amy slipped onto the back porch with Jack, their hands intertwined.
“Do you think they’ll always make space for us?” she whispered.
Jack kissed her knuckles. “I think they already have.”
Dahlia watched from the garden edge, the moonlight soft on her shoulders. She looked down at the freshly planted seed. Then up at the house, where her father was smiling again. Where Eliot and Christian argued about soup. Where Theo sang off-key. Where Markus waited.
She smiled softly to herself.
She was home.
And the garden — the quiet, blooming legacy of her life — had grown a little bigger.