Theo escaped from Beacon Hills a long time ago.
He went to New York and started a new life there. He now has a daughter, born to a woman he loved but divorced from not long ago.
A day, a call from Scott Mccall turned his life upside down: "you have...
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beacon hills, fifteen years later
We landed at San Francisco airport a few hours later. It was a beautiful day, sunny and not too hot.
I was holding Amelie, still drowsy from the trip, as I went to pick up the suitcase. We made our way through the airport and reached the exit, where Lydia was waiting for us with her car.
When I saw her, my eyes lit up.
She had been a great help to me, both during my depression and through the divorce. Plus, Amelie adored her.
Lydia ran towards me, and I managed to wake Amelie in time so she could hug her too.
Lydia pulled us both into a tight hug, and I could feel the relief in her touch. It had been a long time, too long. Amelie's little arms wrapped around Lydia's neck, her groggy face lighting up with a sleepy smile.
"Look at you, little lady! I missed you so much," Lydia said, her voice bright as she scooped Amelie up. Amelie giggled, rubbing her eyes, still shaking off the sleep. "Missed you too, Aunt Lydia," she murmured, her French accent peeking through.
I grabbed our suitcase, shaking my head with a smile. "She's getting even more bilingual every day. You should hear her at home. She's basically teaching me French at this point", I said.
Lena had French origins, and that's also why Amelie had that name, like her great grandmother's. Plus, you could start to hear a bit of a French accent in her little voice—which I loved— partly because she spoke mostly in French with her mother.
We loaded the suitcase into the trunk and drove out of the airport. San Francisco rolled out in front of us, its hills and architecture a blend of nostalgia and newness. I hadn't been back to California since everything fell apart. And yet, here I was again, with Amelie by my side. A lot had changed, but being in this car with Lydia made me feel like I could breathe.
As we got closer to Beacon Hills, the conversation turned lighter. Lydia asked Amelie about school in New York, and Amelie started to talk about her friends and her favorite books. Lydia smiled at her enthusiasm but occasionally shot me a knowing glance. We both knew that this little bubble of normalcy would burst soon enough.
When we finally arrived at Lydia's place, Amelie had woken up fully, excited by the idea of staying at Aunt Lydia's. She jumped out of the car and immediately started exploring the small garden out front, her curious eyes scanning the plants and flowers.
"She's got a lot of you in her," Lydia said, standing beside me as we watched Amelie wander around. "But she's got Lena's energy, too. That mix... it's something."
I nodded, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "Yeah, she's... she's everything."
Lydia placed a hand on my arm, her expression softening. "We'll keep her safe, Theo. You know that, right?"
