My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel 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?"

"Yep! Is there even another option?" Marcus said, grinning, knowing he was craving it too.

"Nope, not in their vast culinary universe," Valerie said, smiling.

"You know you look beautiful when you smile?" Marcus said as he walked over and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I didn't… but you always say I look beautiful," Valerie said, blushing a little.

"Because it's true. I'll never forget the woman I met on that bench in the park—remember?"

"Of course. How could I forget?" Valerie said, thinking back to that moment in her youth, when she was just 19—a scared young girl.

"Who would've thought, right?"

"Thought what?" Valerie asked, curious.

"Who would've thought that… after more than 20 years, you and I would be here, packing up to move house again?"

"Well, to be exact, it's been 24 years since we met on that park bench."

"I know! I know!"