Three years later.

A warm ray of sunlight snuck through the window, creeping across the bed until it reached my eyes, as if it consciously wanted to wake me softly. But I was already awake. I'd been awake for at least an hour. Nerves were still something I struggled with, and today was a big day.

I turned over in bed, as I always did, to watch Heather. She slept with that adorable expression on her face, more beautiful than ever, if that was even possible. I loved watching her sleep; it gave me a sense of peace that nothing else could. She was breathing in that deep, steady way, and I couldn't resist leaning over to kiss her forehead, then her cheek and when I thought I should stop, my impulses got the best of me, and I kissed her lips too. Warm and soft as always. With that last kiss, she stirred awake.

"Is it time?" She murmured without opening her eyes.

"You mean time for kisses? Always." I joked planting another kiss on her nose.

Heather's lips curled into a tiny smile.

"Silly," She said as she raised her arm so I could sneak under, leaning my head on her chest. "Why are you up already?"

"I'm worried."

"She's fine." Heather said.

"You're sure? Yesterday she seemed so fidgety."

"She was excited. Today is going to be a great day."

"Can we check on her?"

"No, it's too early." She said pulling me closer so I couldn't slip away.

"Pleeeease?" I pleaded. "I'll be quick. You keep sleeping, and when I get back, I'll give you a million kisses to make up for it."

"A million kisses?" She pretended to weigh the offer for a moment. "Deal. Be quick."

I stood and crossed our room to the hallway, making my way to another door fully covered in children's drawings. One was a colorful portrait of a little girl playing with her brother by a river. Another showed a vibrant rainbow surrounded by butterflies and flowers. Gently, I pushed it open, trying to be as quiet as possible. Sunlight had found its way into their room too, painting the walls with a warm orange glow.

Jen lay peacefully in her bed, hugging the cute plush narwhal Neira had sewn for her ninth birthday. Her hair was, as always, a chaotic mess, and her cheeks were slightly pink, making her look impossibly adorable.

On the other side of the room, in a smaller bed, Will slept soundly. His arms were stretched above his head, and he had kicked his blanket aside, leaving his tiny but adorably chubby legs bare.

He was such a restless sleeper. When they first came to live with us three years ago, I'd half-joked that we might need to bolt his bed to the floor to keep him from rolling around the house at night. And, to my surprise, we'd actually had to put up bars on his bed once. Such an energetic little boy.

I knelt by Will's bed, covered him with the blanket again, kissed his cheek, and moved to check on Jen. She was sleeping so peacefully that I felt a little silly for having worried she wouldn't be okay.

"See?" Heather's voice came from the doorway. "She's fine."

I turned around and saw her leaning sleepily against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest. Her blue night blouse was a little wrinkled, but she still looked perfect in it.

"I'm sorry I woke you." I whispered.

She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, resting her head on my shoulder as her hands clasped softly over my stomach.

"It's okay. I love how much you care about them." She said softly.

"I guess it's me who's nervous, not her," I admitted. "But I don't know... she only learned to swim three years ago, and now she already wants to compete."

"It's all about having fun. She'll be totally fine." Heather said, pressing a kiss to my neck.

"You're right. Plus, she couldn't have had a better teacher." I turned to face her. Her eyes were a little red from sleep, and her hair tumbled loosely over her shoulders in those wavy strands that always drove me crazy. I still couldn't get over them.

I leaned in, kissing her once more as my fingers traced the curve of her spine.

"We still have a bit of time before these two little hurricanes wake up," Heather murmured with a mischievous grin. "I bet I can do something to help you relax."

"I like the sound of that."

I passed an arm behind her legs and another around her back, hoisting her into my arms.

"Oh. Woha." She said surprised as I carried her. "That was unexpected."

"This is the least you deserve. I'll carry you wherever you want." I said.

Heather chuckled. "To our bed, please. Right now." She replied, leaning in to kiss me the moment the words left her lips.

· · ·

Since the wall had fallen, the first thing Heather and I wanted to do was exactly the same: visit Jen and Will, those little kids we had taken care of in the woods during our mission on The Other Side. What we didn't expect, though, was that this visit would mark the beginning of our journey together. Will never wanted to leave Heather again once she had him in her arms, and let's be honest, neither did she. We talked to Neira, the woman who had looked after them since we left that town, and the three of us agreed that, since they had no parents and Neira was already old, it would be best to raise them, Heather and I, together.

The swimming competition was held on the same lake, Heather and I had swum years ago, back when a wall still divided the land. Kids from villages all around came to compete, including some from what was now called the Reg Region. It was no longer labeled "Society" because, although that part of the world still existed, its technological advancements were now accessible to everyone. 

Jen couldn't stop hoping, jumping, and chattering nonstop as we waited for the competition organizer to call her name. Meanwhile, Will was busy exploring the lake, barefoot, dipping his feet in the water and splashing it around.

"Where are they? Where are they?" Jen kept asking us gazing around.

"They'll appear in a minute." Heather said.

"Are you sure? What if they don't get to see me swim?" She said concerned.

"There's still time. They'll come." I said to her.

"Are you sure they said, they would come?" She asked for the thousandth time.

I came to Heather leaning on her ear. "She's going to explode of nerves if we don't do something."

"True. Let me handle this." She said as she kneeled in front of Jen and placed a hand softly on her shoulder. "Hey, you should stretch a bit before the competition. Let me show you the best stretch exercise."

"Shall we do them together?" She said her eyes sparking with emotion.

"Sure!" Heather said as they moved to get a better place and started to stretch.

A small airship landed a few meters away from the lake, but Jen was too focused on Heather to notice. A few minutes later, Michael and Erik appeared with broad smiles on their faces. When I saw them, I opened my mouth to call out to them, but before I could say a word, they put a finger to their lips, signaling me to stay quiet. They moved closer to Jen from behind and leaned in toward her.

"Where is the best swimmer in the entire world?" Michael called out.

"I heard she's around here somewhere, a little girl, they say." Erik added.

Jen immediately turned, and I swear her eyes seemed to capture the entire sunlight when she saw them.

"You came!" She shouted, jumping higher than I'd ever seen, as Michael caught her in his arms, hugging her warmly. She then hopped over to Erik, who gave her another big squeeze.

Will, who had been watching from the shore a few meters away, ran over and wrapped his little arms around Michael's legs.

"Oh," Michael said, looking down. "Who is this little cricket? I don't think I know him."

Michael always made the same joke to Will, who absolutely loved it and never tired of hearing it.

Will let out an adorable laugh and, with his still-developing pronunciation, said, "Wwwweell."

"Wennie? Is your name Wennie? I don't know any Wennies," Michael teased.

"Wiiiiiil!" Will shouted.

"Oh! Now I heard it right!" Michael chuckled, picking him up. Once he'd lifted him high enough, Will rested his head on Michael's shoulder. The scene could have won them the award for most adorable duo.

"Jen Anderson?" The organizer called out.

"Oh my god, oh my god," Jen said, as Erik set her back on the ground. "I have to go."

Heather knelt in front of her and took her shaking hands. "Hey. You'll do great. Remember it's all about having fun, okay?"

Jen nodded seriously, as she always did when listening to Heather. She happened to be the person she listened to the most, always following her advice without question. I knelt next to Heather to add, "Also, remember that I'm going to tickle-attack you after the competition, no matter what happens." In my case, I was in charge of lighting things up with a bit of humor. Clown skills, I guess.

Jen chuckled. "I'll counterattack."

"Jen Anderson?" The organizer repeated.

"Here!" She shouted back.

"Lane 4, please." The organizer said as he directed Jen to the starting area.

Michael, Erik, Heather, and I moved to the front line where all the other visitors and parents waited. Michael still carried Will who seemed not to be willing to leave his arms for the rest of the day at least.

"Thanks for making it out for the competition. This is important to her." I said leaning toward Michael. "You should have seen her before you got here, nervous as hell, looking for you."

Michael smiled softly. "No worries. We wanted to come as well. We'll resume the trip afterward."

"How's it going, by the way? The honeymoon you always dreamed about?" I teased him.

Michael's cheeks flushed like the day they got married. I guess the flush gene of our family would never fade.

"It really is." He said shyly.

Michael put an arm around my shoulder and gave me a little squeeze. Although marriage didn't mean much nowadays, legally speaking, Michael and Erik wanted to do it to honor their love, story, and bond. The ceremony had been beautiful, and I cried like a baby at every minute of it.

"You look so happy, Micha. I'm so happy for you." I said.

Meanwhile, Heather and Erik were deep in conversation about the new Reg Bracelets.

"See?" Erik said to Heather, showing her a bracelet that looked similar to the old ones but slightly more colorful. "You can turn it on or off depending on your needs and activate as many functions as you want. It all depends on you."

Erik had worked on developing a variation of the Reg Bracelet after the wall fell. With his knowledge of the Ghost Patch and his experience as an implant owner, he created a model that could still work for the remaining Techno-humans on Earth. It helped them use their implants without being controlled or dependent on them. The Reg Bracelet was now optional and free for everyone, with no dependence or injury involved.

Heather and I closed that door years ago, but it was really cool that this kind of technology could still exist for those who really needed it. There wasn't only one way to live, and that was fine as long as everybody got to choose.

"Hey, you two," Michael said to them. "Work talk again?"

"This new design is amazing! I bet Kate's mouth dropped when you showed it to her." Heather said.

"She did!" Erik replied. "I'm just so happy she got elected. She's so good at giving me ideas too, and very aligned with my way of viewing technology."

Last year, there were the first democratic elections since... well, I can't even remember when, and Kate, along with another affiliated applicant, got elected. Her open vision about the need for a good balance between technology, data, and free will was key to getting to where we were now.

"Everyone ready at their positions?" The organizer asked.

"It's time!" I said.

All our eyes darted to Jen, who was already prepared on the shore, facing lane 4 alongside nine other competitors. She had to swim one hundred meters and come back. Everyone went quiet as the organizer raised the starting pistol, and the tenth kid leaped into the lake.

The crowd erupted in cheering shouts, and we weren't any less loud. Erik put his fingers in his mouth and blew a whistle, while Michael couldn't stop screaming, "Come on, Jen!!! Go, go!!!" Will clapped his little hands as he watched his big sister in awe.

Heather was quiet, as she always was when she was nervous. I took her hand and gave it a soft squeeze. She briefly looked at me and gave me a lovely smile.

Jen swam with such intensity as if she had been holding that power forever. I couldn't even believe it. She had been so scared of the water two years ago, and now, after Heather had taught her, she seemed to love it. It even seemed like she had mimicked Heather's way of moving in the water. How cool was that?

She started a bit behind, but as the race went on, she began to close the gap, passing a couple of competitors.

"I think she's going to make it." Erik said, eyes fixed on her.

"Yeah, maybe third place!" Michael said, leaning forward.

"No, no, she's speeding up. I think she'll pass them all." Heather analyzed.

"You think so?" I asked, watching her edge ahead of the fourth competitor. There were still three more quite far in front.

"I do. She's picking up speed." Heather said, nodding.

"Oh my god, you're right, she's closing in on third!" Michael said.

"Come on, Jen, you're the best! We love you!" Erik shouted, his hands cupped around his mouth.

Just as they were only a few meters from the finish line, Jen surged ahead of the second kid.

"OH MY GOD!" I yelled, my heart pounding.

The kid in the first place seemed to be getting tired, but Jen looked the opposite. She had started slow, keeping her energy for a progressive speed-up. Such a smart kid, if you ask me.

The two kids swam shoulder to shoulder, only a breath away from the finish. The crowd was roaring, shaking with nerves, everyone on edge.

With only five meters to go, Jen made the final strokes without lifting her head to breathe. That last burst of speed was exactly what she needed. The crowd erupted in cheers as Jen pulled ahead, crossing the finish line just ahead of the other kid.

Applause and shouts filled the air as Jen broke the surface, gasping for breath. She looked around, and when she realized she had won, her face lit up. Sparkling eyes, shining skin, she darted toward us as we rushed to meet her.

Heather lifted her from the water and hugged her as we all cheered around them.

"Jen Anderson, first position!" The organizer shouted.

Will pulled himself away from Michael, stretching his arms toward his sister. Jen caught him and hugged him warmly as it couldn't be any other way. Will was her biggest fan. No excuse. How could he not be? She was the one who had taken care of him during the first years of his life without parents and that bond would never be broken.

After that, we ate together in our garden. Erik had cooked for the six of us, with Heather by his side. Indian recipes were their favorite, and the entire house was filled with the mouthwatering scent of toasted garlic, earthy cumin, and the sharp freshness of ginger. Afterward, they left to resume their honeymoon, and Neira came over to take the kids for a sleepover at her house.

It was strange to suddenly have such an ordinary family life, especially because after the wall fell, we had no idea what we were going to do. Surprisingly, over time, everything unfolded naturally, finding the perfect fit for each of us. Kate created a department for outsiders who had lost family members during the wall years, and I worked there, helping to reunite families. Meanwhile, Heather became the head of the Memory Recovery Team in the Reg Region, helping people recover as many memories as possible.

This was something she was really into, especially after reclaiming her own past.

After Neira took the kids, Heather spent nearly two hours working on her memory register. She had been writing down every recollection of her mother in a journal, as if afraid those precious moments might slip away again.

"How's it going?" I asked, walking over to her desk and kissing the top of her head.

"Slow, but I'm happy to be able to do it," she replied, turning her head toward me. "It really helps me reconnect with my old self."

"I'm so happy to hear that. And I'm really grateful you're letting me read it."

"Of course. I need you to know everything I remember now that I have the chance to do it." She stretched her arms in front of her looking tired. 

"If you're done... I'd like you to come with me." I said.

"Where?"

"It's a surprise." I replied.

I led her to our airship, and we drove past our town, heading toward the Reg Region. When we reached the spot where the Narval House used to stand, I ascended higher and higher, until the only thing surrounding us were the stars. It was the very same place Heather had taken me years ago, the day I became a Narval Officer.

"Why are we here?" Heather asked, curious and excited at the same time.

"You've been working so hard lately, and we barely get time alone without the kids. Plus, I think it's good for us to keep our own memories alive as well..." I said.

Heather leaned in and placed a tender kiss on my lips. "Such a good one we have here."

I smiled. "Plus...I want to keep creating new ones. You know?"

"Of course." She leaned into my arms, getting comfortable as we watched the night sky.

"Yeah... So for that..." I began, my nerves kicking in. "I was wondering..."

Heather was distracted, gazing at the stars and barely paying attention to me, which, honestly, was a relief. What I was about to say had my nerves spiraling out of control, and if she'd been watching me, she would have noticed for sure. Okay, Grace, just say the words, I told myself.

"Heather Anderson, will you marry me?" I blurted out. 

Finally. The words were out.

Heather's breath caught, and the world went silent. She turned to face me, her eyes wide.

"Are you serious?" She asked confused.

"Very serious."

Heather's expression battled between a huge smile and not entirely understanding the situation.

"But...you said you didn't want to marry." She began. "You said it was an old-fashioned tradition, that it didn't mean anything these days..."

She was right, I'd never seen anything special about marriage. But everything changed when I saw Michael and Erik at their wedding, the pure love in their eyes as they looked at each other. I wanted that for us too. We deserved it and I couldn't wait another second to promise myself to her completely.

"I know what I said," I began. "This isn't about tradition. I changed my mind because I realized how much I want to stand in front of everyone we care about and tell them—and you—that you're my forever."

Heather took my hands on hers softly and gave them a soft kiss. "Grace." She began. "You've already given me everything I could ever want. You're already my forever."

I felt my heart skip a beat. "So, you're saying...?"

"I'm saying," she interrupted, leaning in and kissing me gently, "that you had me at the first "I love you"."

A rush of relief flooded over me as I grinned, unable to contain my joy. "So... that means yes?"

"That means yes," she replied, her eyes sparkling even more than the stars surrounding us. "Yes, a thousand times yes."

I leaped over to her, pressing my lips to hers so fiercely that the airship seemed to shake. My chest burned with that calm, warm, and excited joy that spread through every inch of my skin. It was a feeling that had only grown stronger since the fall of the wall. Since every morning, finding Heather beside me in bed. Since every soft caress, every heartfelt hug, and fiery kiss. I guess that's what everyone called happiness. What else could it be?

And I could get used to it. Oh, I definitely could.

Author's Note: 

This is the end, lovely people, now for good. 😭I know I may seem like a broken record, always repeating myself, but for real: Thank you so much to each and every one of you for making it this far. From the bottom of my heart, there's not much more I want to say than that: Huge thanks.💖

I wouldn't have enjoyed writing Silver Eyes as much if it weren't for all your support, votes, and funny/thoughtful comments. There's something so special about writing on Wattpad, and it's definitely the chance to see your reactions and insights, and also to feel the love from all of you, the readers.😊

I really hope Silver Eyes has been good entertainment, making you a little happier, excited, emotional, and even angry sometimes (but in a good way!). Most of all, I hope it transported you, even for short periods of time, to another world. I hope Heather and Grace have become real to you in your own personal way, and that you've carried parts of them in your heart, just like I do.🥰

Now I have a long journey ahead: edits and polishing. But I won't lie when I say I've been brainstorming new ideas for future stories. I'll keep you updated.🤩

Thanks again, and if you enjoyed Silver Eyes, recommend it to friends and colleagues so it can reach everyone who needs this type of story and fly even further. 

Love you always!💖

Ava💫