The rising sun reflects on the chrome of her bike and she races to the top of the hill with a wide smile on her face. She stops at the wooden bench and turns the engine off.

With her hand on the matte black metal, she looks out over the city. The heat slowly leaving the machine, replaced by the warmth of the first sun rays. She takes off her helmet, hangs it on one of the handles, unzips her leather jacket, and leans back.

She will never grow tired of the feeling of power and freedom.

Ombra has been her best friend for years, helped her through all the highs and lows. She represents the shadows in her heart and soul but at the same time, the matte black stands for not absorbing bad energy, for protecting yourself and the ones you love. The powerful engine portrays her unmeasurable strength and the curves her soft, nurturing side.

All these different sides wrapped up in a small, dark-haired woman, who has never been back to the shadows of her soul, no matter how hard her demons tried to pull her into that darkness.

Especially today, she can feel the shadows nip at her ankles but she is certain that she will never go back there. She can't, she has to stay here in the light, to carry on her legacy. To become the glue that holds the family together.

She gets off her bike and sits down on the bench, contemplating her life and the road that brought her to this point.

The five-year-old abandoned little girl has stopped crying and hiding. She feels loved and protected by everyone in her life. She feels free to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the wetness while dancing in the rain.

The fifteen-year-old, broken girl, waiting for her big brother to come home is now confident in her own strength. She doesn't need Bruno to keep her safe but knows he will always be there for her. All he has to do is look into her eyes and he knows. Knows what she thinks and feels. Knows what she needs. He will always be her protector, her father, and brother in one, her rock.

He helped her become who she is today and she will be grateful forever. Not that he wants her gratefulness, he never saw it as something extraordinary. He thinks it's what a brother is supposed to be like and raises his little boys to be the same way with Lexy by his side.

The world needs more men like that and she doesn't doubt all the little men in her family will become just like her biggest brother.

Her mind fast forwards over the lives she took and pauses on Salvatore's death. Looking back on it she knows it wasn't a healthy way to deal with what he did to her. But she can't regret it either, it still feels like it was the only acceptable solution to rid the world of that heartless bastard.

The aftermath almost broke her and Logan along with it but it didn't. In the end, it laid the foundation for their relationship with the help of the effortless love that has been there from the very start.

She thinks about the kids she managed to save. She provided them with a roof over their heads and gave them a future. They are all learning to become someone or are already someone in her company.

Manon basically does Scorpia's job and has turned into a strong, young woman that no one dares to mess with. She has her own apartment with Bart. Bart runs security for Scorpia Enterprises and still takes care of their vehicles with the help of Johnny. All the older employees have taken a step back, to give the young people they guided a chance to prove themselves.

When you walk into the hotel all you see are smiling faces and you feel the love everyone has for each other. It all runs smoothly and when it doesn't, they all put their heads together to fix it. Scorpia couldn't be more proud of her family, old and new. They all support one another.

Her mind goes to Ricardo. He has won so many awards since he has started his research and Scorpia's interview is still being watched by mental health professionals all over the world. It has really opened doors and minds.

All of the professionals were so stuck in their ways, that it seemed like an impossible task to change their minds. But showing them how it was for her and how she is doing now, thanks to professionals taking the less conventional route, has really made them doubt their methods. And doubt is enough in those brilliant minds. They are intelligent enough to think about it themselves and eventually try something different. And the feedback from people who have lived through a mental breakdown has been overwhelming.

Ricardo turned into a respected researcher and psychiatrist and is engaged to Freya. Who is the sweetest nurse on the children's ward, always smiling and goofing around with them.

His mother, Esperanza has started to work fewer hours now that she has taught the young girls well. She became a mom to everyone who needed the love and support only a mother can give.

Emilia is running the beauty salon in the hotel. She is still very young, but so smart and full of life. She keeps up with the latest trends and still studies new techniques and treatments.

Scorpia thinks about Dino and finds it hard to believe how much he has changed. He built a house for him and Violetta, close to the children's home. He works for Scorpia Enterprises part-time and uses the other hours in the day to take care of the twin girls he and Violetta adopted. He is so sweet with them and doesn't feel too good to do household chores. He worships the ground his girls walk on and lives for them.

There is no illegal activity connected to Scorpia Enterprises anymore. They managed to change the ways of the gangs, thanks to Flavio. There are no underaged people forced into anything anymore and the gangs found out that it gives them a better reputation overall. Of course, they didn't turn into welfare organizations but they sure are doing a lot better.

And Flavio? He has become even more of a force to be reckoned with. With Ciro by his side. Anything illegal flowed into Flavio's organization and he ended up running it all with Ciro.

And they are openly together as a couple. Which made them even more powerful and feared, just like Scorpia predicted. Ciro was never going to be a white-collar businessman but the fact that he has found true love makes her smile. They are so wonderful together and Flavio really became her fourth brother. If she would call him right now, he would drop everything and come running.

Matteo has been living in Scotland with Cait and Lachlan for almost four years now. To be closer to Gail and to study there. Cait loves taking care of him and Lachlan shares his passion for dancing with him. He is doing very well at school and has turned into an outgoing, well-mannered, young man.

She breathes out slowly and tries her hardest to keep the pain, that's slowly seeping into her veins, at bay. But it's no use, there's no way she can heal that part of her heart. It's going to be broken forever.

She forces herself to think of Leo, the biggest gift life gave to her. He is a kindergartner now and a little heartbreaker. He smiles all the time and makes everyone feel better, just by being there. He's friendly, loving, and confident.

She's so proud of the little boy and feels her heart glow just thinking about him. He follows his daddy like a shadow when they are together. It's so cute, he tries to do everything Logan does.

Logan... there are no words to describe what he means to her. There never were and there never will be. Their love just keeps growing, like there is no end to it.

His heart still does a little dance when she enters the room and her eyes still fill with floating golden specks when he touches her. He can make her forget about the world around them, just by wrapping his arms around her.

And whether they're in the cafe or in the cottage in Scotland, they're home as long as they are together. He is her beginning and her end.

She puts her hand on her chest and whispers: "In here. Forever."

Now that there is no one left to think about to distract her from the pain, she welcomes it. The tears flow down her cheeks and drip onto her leather pants. The first person in the world she said ti amo to, has gone to heaven.

The woman that showed her what unconditional love was like, finally got her chance to be with the love of her life. The man she always stayed true to and who came up with Scorpia's name.

She tries to take a deep breath but it's not working. She cries for her mother, her role model, the kind of woman she hopes to become one day.

She rubs her belly in slow circular movements and whispers: "Mamma, I am grateful for all the years we got to spend together. Grateful for all the love you had for all of us. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for raising me to be strong and loving at the same time.

I know I can get through this, I know I am stronger than anything life could ever throw at me. And I know all of that thanks to you.

I hope it's beautiful up there in heaven and I hope pappa is there with you. I promise I will make you two proud, I promise I will carry on your legacy. I will miss you every single day of my life from now on but I will do my best to think of the good times.

There will be an empty dark space in my heart forever, not to hide in, but to listen to the echoes of the memories you left there for me to find. Ti amo, mamma. Vivrai per sempre nel mio cuore."

She gets up from the bench and sees him, leaning against a tree, giving her all the time and space to work through her emotions, while at the same time being there for her. He pushes himself off the bark and walks over to her, his eyes locked on hers.

He opens his arms and she steps into them, pressing her ear against his chest to listen to his calming heartbeat. He rests his chin on top of her head and holds her tightly against his warm body.

Her tears run dry and she inhales his scent, the scent of home and everlasting love.

She takes a step back and looks up at him, he kisses her tear-stained cheeks and wraps his arms around her waist, letting one hand slide down to her belly. They stand there for a while, in silence, because there is no need for words.

She looks deep into his comforting, grey eyes and says: "I love you, beautiful Scot. Forever."

She kisses him softly and he pulls her closer.

"I love you too, Bonnie. Forever and always.

Are you ready to go to our new home? Leo is already running around there, trying to decide which room he wants to claim as his own. Mister Gentile offered to stay with him but I am sure he is tired of our little ball of energy."

Scorpia chuckles at the thought of Leo running around and mister Gentile trying to keep up with him.

She stares in the distance and sees the green Wrangler on the side of the road. "Did you bring the ramp with you?"

Logan nods and says: "Of course I did. We can just push Ombra into the back of the Wrangler and drive over to the house to save mister Gentile from our wild cub."

Logan walks over to Ombra and turns the bike around to push it towards the Wrangler. He opens the backdoor, pulls out the ramp, pushes the bike into the jeep, and secures it in one of the stands welded onto the floor.

He jumps out of the car and opens the passenger door for Scorpia. She gets in and he kisses her, before jogging over to the driver's side. He gets behind the wheel and starts the car.

They are both lost in their memories, driving down the road they drove down every Sunday for the past couple of years, the road that leads to the big house that was always filled to the brim with love, family, and good food.

He drives onto the driveway, turns the engine off, and looks at the beautiful woman next to him with a worried look but when she makes eye contact with him, he knows she's going to be fine.

She gets out of the car, takes a few steps towards the front door, and waits for Logan to join her and hold her hand. He does just that and they walk into the house together.

They hear mister Gentile's thundering laughter and Leo's cute giggle.

When they step into the kitchen they find them covered in flour, making pizza's from scratch.

Scorpia smiles wide and Leo looks up at her. He wipes his little hands on his apron and runs over to her.

He hugs her legs and asks: "Are you okay, mommy? Are you sad because of nonna?"

She kneels down and hugs him close to her chest. "I'm alright, my wonderful boy. I am sad because of nonna but that's okay. I miss her. But I have you and daddy to cuddle, that always makes me feel better."

Leo puts his hands on her belly and whispers real close: "Baby? Are you a sister? I hope you are. I want a sister."

Scorpia wipes the tear that rolled from the corner of her eye away and runs her fingers through Leo's brown hair.

She whispers: "Do you want to know a secret Leo? Mommy saw the doctor yesterday."

Leo forms an o with his mouth and nods wildly.

"The baby is a girl. You're getting a little sister."

Leo lets out a scream and starts running through the house, bumping into boxes and tipping things over. Logan catches him mid-flight and takes him into the backyard to run it all out.

Scorpia walks over to mister Gentile and he gives her a hug. "Have you decided on a name yet, bambina?"

Scorpia runs her hand over the wood of the kitchen island and breathes in slowly. She feels her mother's love around her and smells her perfume in the air.

She places two hands on her belly and says: "I have. I know exactly what her name should be."

Logan comes in at that moment with Leo on his back and catches her last words.

He walks over to the kitchen and looks deep into her eyes, smiling because he knows what she is going to say.

She locks eyes with him and they say in unison: "Anna. Her name is Anna."  

⊱ ────── {⋅.♏︎.⋅} ────── ⊰

Out of the shadows and into the light
Using darkness to see what's right
Overcoming, growing stronger
Loving more, deeper, longer

☙ ❦ ❧