Zephany stared at him for a second before a helpless chuckle escaped her lips. He really looked pitiful. Softening, she reached out and patted his head gently. Kendrick was stunned.

"What was tha—"

Before he could even finish, Zephany leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Her lips lingered for a second, warm and tender, before she whispered softly near his ear, "Hubby, I missed you."

Kendrick froze.

Zephany’s face was close to his. Too close. When he slowly turned his head, their eyes met. For a moment, neither spoke. They simply stared, breathing softly, looking at each other like they were afraid to blink and lose this moment.

Both of them were thinking the same thing.

They still remembered last night. The pain. The fear. That terrifying certainty that they were going to die. In those moments, every memory they shared flashed in their minds.

Their laughter. Their fights. Their stubborn silence. Their unspoken regrets. They remembered how they had ignored each other, hurt each other, pretended indifference when their hearts were screaming the opposite.

Just when they had finally admitted their feelings... just when they finally wanted to live properly as husband and wife... death came knocking.

Back then, they only wished for one thing.

More time.

More chances to love each other.

More days to grow old together.

Now, sitting here alive, warm, and breathing, the weight of that miracle pressed on their hearts.

Zephany’s hand slowly lifted, trembling slightly, touching Kendrick’s cheek. Kendrick gently held her hand in place, his thumb brushing over her knuckles as if reassuring himself that this was real. Their eyes softened even more.

They leaned closer. Slowly. As if afraid the moment would break if they rushed.

Their foreheads touched first. Then their noses brushed lightly. And then, finally, their lips met.

The kiss was not rushed or desperate. It was slow, full of emotion, full of warmth and longing. It carried relief, gratitude, regret, and overwhelming love all at once.

Kendrick’s hand moved to Zephany’s waist while her fingers curled around his collar, pulling him closer. The world outside no longer existed. There was only them. Their warmth. Their heartbeat. Their love.

Meanwhile, outside the room...

Reynold had just reached the parking area when he stopped in front of his car. He reached into his pocket.

Empty.

His face stiffened.

He remembered.

He left his car key...

On Zephany’s bedside table.

He let out a long sigh, annoyed at himself, then immediately turned around and walked back to the recovery room.

At the same time, Cassius had just finished speaking with the doctor and was heading back down the hallway. He spotted Reynold briskly walking toward the recovery room and instantly felt nervous. He knew Kendrick and Zephany were finally alone together. And Reynold... was Reynold.

Cassius quickened his pace. "Reynold! Wait a moment!"

But Reynold walked fast. Too fast. By the time Cassius reached him, Reynold was already standing in front of the recovery room door.

And then, he froze.

Through the glass panel, he saw it.

Inside.

His precious sister.

Kissing Kendrick.

For a solid few seconds, Reynold could not even move. His brain refused to process the scene. Then, as his senses returned, anger flared through his veins.

"That Kendrick!" he hissed through clenched teeth. "How dare he!"

His hand shot forward toward the doorknob, ready to storm in and drag Kendrick away, but Cassius grabbed his wrist just in time.

"What are you doing?" Cassius demanded, brows raised.

Reynold glared furiously at the door. "That damn Kendrick is taking advantage of my sister! I want to punch him!"

Cassius sighed deeply. "Come on, stop it. Those two are married. It’s normal for a couple to do those things."

Reynold blinked.

Right.

They were married.

He already knew that. Yet somehow, his brain still refused to accept it. He still saw Zephany as his little sister who needed protection. The thought that she belonged to someone else now... was still something he could not swallow completely.

His shoulders dropped in defeat, frustration melting into reluctant acceptance. "...Fine."

He turned around, walking away with a sulking expression, and Cassius followed beside him, shaking his head with a helpless smile.

Back inside the room, Kendrick and Zephany remained completely unaware of the little storm that had just happened outside. They were still lost in their world, their kiss slowly softening until they finally pulled away, foreheads resting together again.

Then Kendrick wrapped his arms around her, and Zephany quietly hugged him back. They stayed like that, simply holding each other, feeling each other’s warmth, their hearts finally at peace.

___

After a few days of endless lab tests, blood analyses, scans, and repeated monitoring, the final results finally came out. The pathogens were gone. Completely gone.

Not suppressed. Not temporarily weakened.

Gone.

Zephany and Kendrick were officially declared free from the Helix contamination. No relapse. No traces. No remaining risk. Lian too, once fragile and pale, now looked healthier than ever, laughing and moving with more energy than he ever had before.

With that, they were finally allowed to leave.

The air felt different the moment they stepped inside their apartment again. Familiar walls. Familiar couch. Familiar scent.

Home.

Zephany walked straight to the couch and happily flopped down, a soft sigh of contentment leaving her lips. "I really missed this place. The feeling of being at home."

Kendrick chuckled and sat beside her, close enough that their shoulders brushed. For a moment, they didn’t speak. They just sat there quietly, feeling the comfort of safety and normalcy wrapping around them like a warm blanket.

Slowly, Zephany turned her head toward him. Kendrick did the same.

Their eyes met.

They smiled.

That soft, gentle smile that only belonged to each other.

The atmosphere shifted naturally, slow and tender. Kendrick leaned a little closer. Zephany did too. Their breaths mingled. Their faces were inches apart. Their gazes softened, eyes lowering slightly to each other’s lips.

They were just about to close the distance when—

"WELCOME BACK HOME!"

A loud, cheerful greeting exploded from the kitchen entrance. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Both of them froze.