"Vi," Lily cooed, holding her arms out. Violet looked up with a wide grin as she crawled toward her older sister, Tiny-- who turned out not to be so tiny-- followed eagerly behind her. She stopped in front of Lily, grabbing her arm and pulling up slowly. Up, up, up, until she stood on shaky legs like she had started doing a lot lately. "Hikaru!" I screamed. He came running in, clutching his screenplay in one arm. "What is it?!" he shouted, looking around wildly. Violet took two steps toward him on her own, and he froze. He was still as stone, holding his breath. She took another step, then another, stumbling toward her father. "Dada!" she squealed, reaching for him. He exhaled, his face splitting into a wide grin. "Vi, you're walking!" he chuckled, swooping her up into the air and spinning her around. I watched a moment longer with a slight smile before turning my attention back to my laptop. I had a PowerPoint I had to present the next day. T.H.O.S.E had three new departments opening up this month. New Hope Rehabilitation Center, Day One Pregnancy Help Center, and the Lifepoint Domestic Abuse and Violence Sanctuary. I was proud of the progress I had been making.

Hikaru, on the other hand, had completely changed his major and was pursuing a career in movies. He had created three successful movies in just a couple years. It was funny, really. Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, the successful movie director and actor. The public loved them. As much praise and success as The Heart Of Saint Evangeline got, I did my best to stay out of the limelight and focus on my girls. Hikaru and I have been talking about having another baby. He and I both have always wanted big families, now we have one.

I got up from the couch and walked over to the window, taking a folded paper out of my pocket. I opened the window and sat against the frame. "What'cha doin', Mama?" Rose asked. "Yeah, what're you doing babe?" Hikaru echoed. I looked at the tattoos on my arm, Lily and Rose's names underneath the lavender and pink butterflies. Below them was a deep purple butterfly, with 'Violet' written in cursive. In one of the small pieces of blank flesh that I had left, there was a silver and white butterfly, incredibly bright against my tan skin and done in exquisite detail. Beneath it was Willow's name. I traced his name with my finger, smiling sadly. "I'm sending a letter," I answered softly. Leaving my arm alone, I began to unfold the sheet of paper.

10/06/16

Dear Willow,

Mommy has stopped living in fear, stopped looking over her shoulder every moment for the demons I was sure would come back to haunt me. I'm doing better now. This will be the last letter I write you, not because I don't love you or don't want to, but because I don't need to anymore. It was to help me cope with losing you, but I don't need to cope anymore. I don't need to hurt anymore. I have come to terms with the fact that you are gone; I have accepted it. It hurts, but I know you are in a place where you don't ever have to suffer. I carry you with me in my heart, where you will forever stay. I know that even though you have family here that loves you, you're with God, who can take care of you much better than I can. Mommy will always love you Willow, and no matter what, you are always with me. *Voler haut, mon ange.

Love,

Mommy

I lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, letting the smoke slowly seep out of my mouth into the crisp autumn afternoon. With trembling hands and cigarette between my lips, I held the letter out of the window, letting the flame from my lighter lick its way up the page. I smiled as the paper crumbled apart, the wind picking the ashes up and lifting them high into the air. I let go before the flames could burn me, watching the last of it float away into the sky. Laying my head back on the frame, I continued to smile. No matter what, I would not break; no matter what, Hikaru would be by my side; no matter what, my children knew that I loved them. Even through all the pain I had endured, I was still here, and I was still happy. Even through all of the dark times, I still found a sliver of light. And that, that is what would keep me moving forward. Always.

 *Voler haut, mon ange = Fly high, my angel

***That's it for this story! I'm so grateful for those of you that enjoy my stories (however many of you there actually are). Without y'all, I would've given up long ago.***