My Love Until the Last Goodbye by Alut

Chapter 1089

Valerie was packing clothes into the suitcases, though she kept drifting off, thinking about the reason they'd come here in the first place.

At first, everything had seemed simple-quick even. Within a few months, they'd be back in Hesperia. But it had already been over a year.

Things hadn't gone as planned. The enemies they'd set out to face weren't the real ones. The people truly pulling the strings weren't who they thought they were.

No doubt, the past weighed heavily-but the present weighed even more.

One of those things was the peace she'd finally made with Maximus, or the forgiveness she'd found. Nothing could justify the violence he'd inflicted, nothing could excuse the beatings, the neglect, the lies, and everything that had happened.

She had come to a foreign country years ago, believing in love at first sight. Even if that wasn't exactly what happened, it had taught her a lot.

"My love?" Marcus's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Oh! What is it, sweetheart?" Valerie asked, turning toward the man calling her.

"I was asking if you want to go out to eat. Almost everything's packed, so we can't cook. And I think I speak for everyone when I say we're starving," Marcus said, rubbing his stomach.

"Oh, wow-I'm terrible," Valerie said, feeling guilty.

The whole family was helping with the move. Even Serenity, Alden, and Isabelle were there.

"Come on! Let's go eat. The kids already picked the place."

"Let me guess-pizza?"

said, grinning, knowing

in their vast

you look beautiful when you smile?" Marcus said as he walked over and wrapped an arm around

didn't... but you always say I look beautiful,"

I'll never forget the woman I met on that bench

to that moment in her youth, when she was

"Who would've thought, right?"

what?" Valerie

after more than 20 years, you and I

exact, it's been 24 years since we met on that park

"I know! I know!"

right? You know that everything we've lived through

has made me fall even more in love with

so grateful you gave

made mistakes. I'm just grateful we're here now, together. I can't imagine life without you. I love our life, tove each one of our kids, I love what we've

into the next chapter, you know? Serenity is stepping into a new stage in life, and our family's growing. Can you imagine what it'll be like when John, Albert, and Caroline grow up and start their own

I live to see

gonna be around to see

really do. In the meantime, let's enjoy life just like

Mr. Bartz," Valerie said,

my Valerie Bartz," Marcus replied, hugging

minutes

the

many moments