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A car pulls into the driveway. Alaric has returned from dropping off my friends. He gets out of the car and looks up at the three of us.

Sera rises to her feet and runs straight to him. He catches her, holding her tight against his chest. There’s so much relief on his face as he holds her.

Klaus takes my hand and lifts it to his lips, kissing me.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I should be asking you that,” I say. “Your missing sister finally returned home. I can’t even imagine how overwhelming all of this must be for you.”

“Somehow, I always knew,” he says. “Even when the police and private investigators told me to give up on ever finding her again, I always knew that Sera was out there somewhere. I knew that it was only a matter of time before she came back home.”

“She’s been through so much,” I say. “Clara, too.”

“It’s all over now,” Klaus says. “It’s going to be a fresh start. For all of us.”

“I like the sound of that,” I whisper.

He pulls me closer, holding me like I’m all he needs in this world.

Alaric and Sera climb back up the stairs and sit down next to Klaus.

“Looks like I missed all the drama,” Alaric says.

“I’ve had enough drama to last a lifetime,” Sera says. “I just want a clean slate.”

It makes me think about my own past.

For the longest time, I used to wish that I could forget about all the bad things that happened to me.

But if I did that, I would also erase the strength I found. I wouldalso erase the person I’ve become.

“I don’t know how I’m going to face the kids,” Sera says. “I don’t know how I can make them understand that I was doing this for them.”

“They won’t care, Sera,” Alaric says. “They’ll just be happy to have their mother back.”

“They’ll want to know why,” Sera says, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “If not now, then later. It’ll break their hearts when they learn the truth about their father.”

“Rosalie knew,” Klaus says.

Sera looks at him. “What?”

“She knew that he was hurting you,” Klaus says. “She knew how evil her father was.”

“I never wanted them to see that side of him,” Sera says slowly. “I wanted to pack up and leave before things could get worse.”

“I wish I could kill that bastard a second time,” Alaric hisses.

Klaus nods in agreement.

Sera takes a deep, shuddering inhale.

“I can’t believe the kids knew,” she says, her voice breaking. “Idon’t know how I’m going to deal with this.”

Klaus squeezes her hand. “You were alone for a long time. You made yourself believe that you had to do everything on yourown. That’s never been the case, Sera. You’ll always have us to lean on.”

Sera laughs softly.

“I never thought I’d see the day,” she says. “I can’t believe you’re the one telling me to be more positive.”