Wiped Clean

Epilogue

Annika had spent the last hour trying to get their son to sleep. Teething, it seemed, was wreaking havoc on him, and keeping the entire household awake until the early hours of the morning. Even Hallie had protested, despite being the most caring and loving big sister a girl could be.

She heard the click of the door opening and smiled as Hallie's animated chatter filled the house. "Mama!" Hallie called from the bottom of the stairs.

It was a sound she cherished. No matter how cheeky Hallie could be, especially now that she had started school, Annika treasured the sound of her voice. She walked down the stairs, placing her finger against her lips. "Quiet time, bug. Your brother is sleeping."

"Oh." She turned to Caia, who had just walked through the door. "Mama," she whispered. "Baby is asleep."

Caia grinned before lifting her gaze to meet Annika's. She crossed the room, before giving her wife a kiss. "Hi."

Annika smirked. "Hello, darling."

Music filled the air, causing Annika to cringe and rush to answer her phone before the sound woke the baby. "Detective Andrews," she said, surprised to be hearing from him.

"Ms. Matthews," he said, his tone serious. "Turn on your television."

"Okay..." She entered the lounge room and did as asked. She didn't need to ask what channel, as the purpose for his call was written all across the screen.

She hadn't bothered to ask the date of the hearing. She hadn't wanted it to be on her mind all these months.

"Congratulations," he said. "All loose ends have been tied. You're officially a free woman."

Tears welled in Annika's eyes. Everyone involved with Michael's business would be imprisoned for life. This mess was not going to follow her. It was not going to haunt her any longer. "Thank you detective." She ended the call and turned to Caia, who was staring at the television.

"It's really over," Caia said.

Annika took Caia's hands and wrapped them around her own waist. "It's over." She pressed their lips together. "I think this calls for a celebration."

Caia hummed in agreement, smiling. "I think I know exactly what I want to do to celebrate."

Again, Annika captured her lips before kissing her cheek. "You read my mind, my love."  

***

And we've reached then end. Thank you to everyone who made it this far. I don't anticipate any more novels in this series, but I am considering writing some Caia/Annika oneshots, so keep an eye out for those in the future and make sure you're following me!!

Also, head to linktr.ee/jessicalarouxwrites (link in profile) if you're interested in purchasing my other novel Teach Me.