Chapter 71

• Five Years of Firsts
• Five years. Five years had passed since the day William’s world shattered and then, miraculously, began to mend, one tiny, perfect piece at a time. The Maldivian sun, once a symbol of paradise lost, now held the bittersweet memory of Claire's final, heroic act. Back in Mystic Fall, life had slowly, painstakingly, found its new rhythm.
• The Walton mansion, once echoing with the vibrant presence of Claire, now resonated with the joyful cacophony of a thriving five-year-old. The two nurseries, prepared with such hopeful anticipation, had long since merged into one sprawling, colorful haven for little Claire. William hadn't just returned to his life; he had rebuilt it, brick by painstaking brick, with his daughter at its very heart.