A Place To Escape

Epilogue: Five Years Later

((Author's Note: This is it guys. The final chapter of A Place To Escape. I started this journey back in 2020. April 2020 to be exact. If you've been here since the beginning I can not thank you enough. Even if you haven't been reading from the beginning your support has meant so much to me. Writing A Place To Escape has changed my life in SO many ways. It helped me to write through/about my sexual assault, helped me to start my Patreon/writing business, helped me to believe that I could actually become a published author one day. It's all thanks to this story and the support/comments/messages/fanart/love I've received from you all. I don't think I'd be were I am now without this story. It means the world to me so thank you to anyone who's read Evangeline and Kylo's story. It saddens me that this is the last time I'll write them but this final chapter is close to 10k words so I think they're going out with a bang. Thank you guys SO much. Next stop is starting my first ever original erotic novel!
-All my love Lady))

Epilogue: Five Years Later
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Sunlight pours in through the windows of a bedroom where a man and woman lay sleeping.

It's a peaceful morning.

The lively sounds of the town are much too far away to disturb them.

They live somewhat secluded, about a ten-minute walk away from it all.

The couple prefers it this way. After a lifetime of noise and disarray, they both deserve the quiet.

Warm amber eyes start to open but a hand quickly comes up to shield them with a groan.

Damn sun, clearly trying to blind him.

He could just shove his face into a pillow if it weren't for the realization that something crucial is missing from his arms.

With a grunt, Ben Solo rolls over to face his still-slumbering wife.

Any irritation he felt due to the sun's rude awakening vanishes. She captures his attention in the same way she did all those years ago when he first saw her on the stage of Paradise House.

He doesn't wish to disturb her, but Ben can't help but tuck a stray curl behind her ear. She doesn't even twitch, still too deep in sleep to be roused by such a gentle touch. Her cheek rests nestled on top of her hands to provide support and comfort—a job that normally belongs to his chest or biceps.

Their bodies must have drifted apart during the night.

Ben's hand comes to rest on her hip and tries to tamper down the guilt he feels.

It's a minuscule offense at best, but Evangeline had suffered through enough nights without his arms around her.

He recalls the first few weeks after his return. Their days had been filled with affection and preparing for the birth of their children, but their nights were sleepless. Even after escaping death to make his way back to her, Evangeline's subconscious seemed unable to accept reality.

Every night, without fail she'd jolt from a deep sleep, convinced he was still dead. After every nightmare, Ben would have to convince her that he was in fact beside her and not some ghostly illusion. Back then, neither of them got much sleep.
The nightmares caused too much anxiety to allow Evangeline to rest, and Ben refused to sleep if she could not.

He had never faulted her for any of it. Grief wasn't something easily washed away. She needed to heal, and much like after her assault, he did whatever he could to aid in that.

Things settled once they had moved into their new home.

While they were separated, Evangeline had decided that she wished to live and raise their children similarly to how she was—on the outskirts of Cefalù and close to her garden.

So that is where Ben built it for her.

With the help of his knights and a few of the locals of course.

It was cozy without being overly cramped for their soon-to-be growing family. Her only specifications had been doors that lead directly out into her garden and a large kitchen. One with enough space for her to cook and do her spell work.

He was more than happy to oblige. The only things Ben wanted were a comfortable bed to sleep beside her and a place to hide his armor and lightsaber. He had no intention of returning to battle, but if needed, he would not hesitate to protect his family.

Their first night in their home was one filled with excitement and passion. They had decorated the nursery, fucked in their new bed, and for the first time since feeling his soul leave his body, Evangeline slept soundly.

A week later she had gone into labor.

Ben had seen war, had seen death—hell, he had even taken lives before. But none of it prepared him for the sheer terror he experienced hearing her cries of pain as he watched her bring their children into the world.

The experience itself had been terrifying for two reasons.