Page 145 of Forgive Me Father

"You seem to be feeling a lot better than I am," I joke, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Thanks to you," She beams. "They found my parents! I get to go home."

Hannah finally notices Roman, her gaze full of curiosity.

"Who’s he?" She asks, examining him with intrigue. "Is he the man you talked about?"

"Yeah," I smile at Roman.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Roman," She says, extending her hand. "Me and your wife here are pretty close—"

"Wife?" Roman’s eyes widen with surprise.

"I might have insinuated we were serious. Her imagination must have run wild," I admit, a flush of embarrassment warming my cheeks.

"Pleasure to meet you..."

"Hannah," She replies.

"Hannah," Roman echoes, his tone warm. "It seems you’ve done a commendable job looking after my wife while I was away," he says, his acceptance of the label unflinching.

"I did pretty well," Hannah grins. "Though she never mentioned how handsome your face is."

I laugh softly, pulling Hannah into a tight embrace, savoring the comfort of her hug.

"Am I interrupting?" A man’s voice inquires from the doorway, his arms laden with flowers comparable to Roman’s.

Hannah springs from the bed, eagerly high fiving the newcomer. Roman and I watch with amusement as his eyes light up.

"I told you the medication would make you feel fantastic," The man says with a smile, casting a glance at the nurse who is equally pleased.

"I think it’s time for Hannah to get ready to see her parents," He adds gently, attempting to usher Hannah out of the room.

Despite her protests, Hannah follows the nurse, waving goodbye with a radiant smile.

Once the flowers are set down, the man approaches me, extending his hand.

"Echo," He introduces himself with a grin. "I believe the last time we spoke was over the phone."

I grasp his hand with eagerness, finally matching the voice to the face.

"You’re the one who got us all out," I say gratefully.

"I was just a part of it," Echo smiles. "The real heroes are both of you. Though, I must admit, I didn’t think Roman was capable of such a broad smile."

Roman nudges Echo playfully, a genuine laugh escaping him.

"Now, you two," Echo says with a grin. "Are you ready to share everything you know?"

Roman

Letting Eden sleep peacefully, I hold her close, sharing a flask with Echo.

"Jesus, I didn't think it would be as bad as it was," Echo sighs, taking a generous swig from the flask.

My gaze remains fixed on Eden, my fingers lightly tracing her delicate features.

"You really do love her, don’t you?" Echo observes, his smile warm as he watches us.