Page 74 of Rose

Bloom

"From fire, she learned to burn. From love, she learned to bloom.”

One year and six months later

The lights dimmed, casting a warm golden glow over the walls.

Every inch of the building told her story.

The last two years of her life captured in brushstrokes, paintings, and sculptures.

People moved slowly through the space, dressed in elegance, pausing to admire the pain, the fire, the healing…

and most of all, the love embedded in every piece.

This wasn’t just an art showcase.

It was a dream she had once believed was too far to reach.

Her own museum. The Rose of Love.

Not The Escape Room —that chapter had closed. She named it The Rose of Love because in the last two years, she had risen from every hardship, every scar, every hand that tried to keep her buried.

And tonight, standing in the middle of it all, she had never felt more whole.

She owed so much of that to her husband , Savior Carter.

It had taken seven months for him to heal completely, to return to the beautiful chaos that made him him. Two and a half months after that, they were married. On the same day, their daughter, Sincerity Rose Carter, was born, perfect in every way.

Kyre had walked away almost a thousand dollars richer, the only one who’d guessed right that it would be a girl. Everyone else had lost the bet, including the entire Carter family. Everyone except Ahzii.

She stepped forward now, the mic cool in her hand, standing in the heart of the museum she had built from the rubble of her life.

Her gaze swept over her family, emotion welling in her chest. Everyone here had played a role in shaping her into the woman she was, in helping her heal in ways she could never repay.

But then her eyes found him—Savior—holding their one-year-old daughter in his arms. The curse of the Carter boys broken again, their little girl the spitting image of Ahzii. The sight undid her, and the tears spilled freely.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, dabbing quickly at her makeup before it could run.

The room fell silent, all eyes turning toward her.

Her white dress hugged every curve, its softness a sharp contrast to the strength in her stance. Her pixie cut framed her face, sharp and regal, like a crown she’d grown herself. She took a deep breath, steadying the tremor in her voice.

“Thank you all for being here tonight. This moment… this space… it’s more than a museum.

It’s my heart cracked open. For a long time, I didn’t think I’d ever stand in a moment like this.

I was burned—by life, by betrayal, by loss that left holes in me I didn’t think would ever close.

I’ve had days where I couldn’t breathe. Nights where the only light I had came from the fire that tried to take me.

But love…” Her voice softened, eyes finding Savior again.

“Love found me in the ashes. It didn’t come wrapped in perfection.

It came through pain. Through grief. Through chaos. ”

She looked at him like he was the only person in the room. And in that moment, he was.

“It showed up in my brother. In my friends. In every person who reminded me I was more than what tried to break me. But most of all…” Her voice softened, eyes locking on Savior.

“…it showed up in my husband. The man who, since day one, dug into the deepest parts of me and pulled me back to life. I love you, baby.”

Tears streamed freely now, her makeup long forgotten.

Savior mouthed I love you back, leaning down to whisper to Sincerity. Their daughter turned her little face toward the crowd and blew her mother a kiss.

Ahzii’s laugh broke through her tears as she caught it in her hand and blew one right back.

“This museum is called The Rose of Love because that’s what I had to become—a rose.

Not something fragile. But something resilient.

Something beautiful that bloomed through concrete, through flames, through silence, and survival.

Love didn’t save me overnight. But it taught me how to save myself.

So if you’re walking through this space, I hope you feel that.

I hope you see that no matter how life scorches you, you can bloom again.

Not in spite of the fire, but because of it. ”

Her voice cracked, but she smiled through the tears. “Welcome to The Rose of Love. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Applause erupted, glasses lifting into the air in a toast.

She handed the mic to one of her staff, and before she could take another step, Kyre and A’Mazi were already there. Kyre wrapped her in a tight embrace, her words muffled into Ahzii’s shoulder.

“We are so proud of you, Zii.”

When they pulled apart, Ahzii’s smile was pure gratitude. “Thank you.”

Through every chapter of her life—every scar, every fire—Kyre had been there. Her true best friend.

A’Mazi’s arms came next, strong and sure, before he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I always believed in you,” he murmured. Even in heels, she still had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze.

“My rider,” she said softly.

A’Mazi wasn’t just her twin, he was her backbone, her safe place, the one who always pulled her from the flames.

Then came Bianca, then Sarai, then Taylor, then Sin, and Saint, each embrace layering warmth over her.

Even Selene stepped forward. Their relationship was still fragile, still being rebuilt piece by piece. But Ahzii had seen the change in her. Selene was learning to treat Savior like a son, not a soldier. And so was Saint.

It wasn’t perfect yet.

But it was growing, just like she had .

Lastly, Ahzii made her way to Savior. She leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to Sincerity’s cheek before Savior set their daughter on her feet. Without warning, he scooped Ahzii into his arms and spun her around, her laugh ringing through the room like music.

“I’m so proud of you, Allure,” he said when he set her down, his eyes holding hers like the rest of the world had vanished. “I always knew this day would come.”

She smiled, leaning in to kiss his lips. “Even when I was cussing your ass out, calling you crazy, and saying how much of a lunatic you were?” she teased.

He chuckled, low and certain. “ Is , baby. I’ll always kill to see this Allure again.”

Her cheeks warmed as he kissed her again, slower this time.

“Sissy,” Sincerity said suddenly, her little finger pointing toward something behind them.

Both Savior and Ahzii followed her gaze, straight to the painting of Willow displayed in the heart of the museum.

Ahzii’s breath caught. She had planned to tell Sincerity about Willow when she was older, when she could truly understand. But somehow… she already knew.

“How does she know…” Ahzii whispered, more to herself than anyone.

Savior’s smile was soft but steady. “That’s her big sister, baby. She’ll always know her.”

Even though the words stunned him as much as they did her, they felt right.

Ahzii crouched to Sincerity’s level, her voice tender. “Yes… that’s sissy, baby.”

Tears burned in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She missed Willow every day, wished she could see her grow, hold her, hear her laugh. But God had given her a second chance, not just at love, but at motherhood.

“Okay, picture time!” Janet, the same photographer from their trip to Disney World, called out, snapping them back to the moment.

Everyone gathered, posing for family shots, smiling through the flashes. Then it was just the three of them—Savior, Ahzii, and Sincerity—standing in front of the museum’s centerpiece, the painting of Willow watching over them.

“I love you, Ahzii Rose-Carter,” Savior said quietly, his voice meant only for her as he held their daughter close.

Ahzii turned, looking up at him with every ounce of love she carried. “I love you too, Savior Khaos Carter.”

Janet kept clicking as they kissed, sealing the moment forever.

Both had been burned. Both had been scarred. Both had been buried.

But love had risen them out.

The End