Chapter 6 The Last Rose

# Chapter 6 – The Last Rose

Five years passed like the turning of seasons—gradual yet transformative. My son, Leo, grew from a colicky infant into a spirited kindergartener with his father's dark curls and my stubborn chin. My media company, Truth Unveiled Productions, expanded from a single YouTube channel into a digital empire specializing in investigative documentaries and women's empowerment content.

And Ethan... Ethan had become something I never expected: my closest confidant, business partner, and eventually, after two years of cautious dating, my fiancé.

"Mommy, are we there yet?" Leo asked from the backseat, kicking his feet against my leather car seat.

"Almost, sweetheart." I adjusted the rearview mirror to see his face. "Remember what I told you about today?"

"We're visiting old stones where people sleep forever," he recited, his attention already drifting back to his tablet game.

I smiled despite the heaviness in my chest. Today marked the anniversary of Harold Rhodes' death—Daniel's father and Cynthia's first husband. The Rhodes family plot had fallen into disrepair since Cynthia's spectacular downfall three years ago, when financial irregularities at Rhodes Media Group had led to federal investigations and her eventual house arrest.

Daniel had asked if Leo could accompany him to the cemetery today—a request I'd initially refused, then reconsidered. Our co-parenting relationship had evolved from frigid hostility to cautious civility, largely for Leo's sake. Daniel had undergone extensive therapy, stepped away from the company's day-to-day operations, and proven himself more present as a father than I'd expected.

The wrought iron gates of Oakwood Cemetery came into view—an old-money Boston institution where generations of elite families maintained elaborate mausoleums. I parked near the entrance, helping Leo out of his car seat and straightening his little navy blazer.

"Remember, quiet voices here," I reminded him, taking his small hand in mine.

"Like in the library," he nodded solemnly.

We followed the winding path toward the Rhodes family plot, located on a small hill overlooking a serene pond. As we approached, I saw Daniel already there, kneeling to clear fallen leaves from the base of his father's headstone. He looked different now—more at peace, his shoulders no longer carrying the visible weight of Cynthia's expectations.

"Daddy!" Leo broke free of my hand and ran toward him.

Daniel turned, his face lighting up as he caught Leo in a hug. "There's my little man! You've grown at least three inches since I saw you last week."

"Nuh-uh, only one inch. Mommy measured on the wall!"

I approached more slowly, taking in the neglected state of the once-immaculate family plot. Weeds sprouted between marble slabs, and the grand Rhodes mausoleum showed signs of water damage.

"Lillian." Daniel nodded in greeting. "Thank you for bringing him."

"Of course." I kept my tone neutral. "He was excited to see you."

An awkward silence fell between us—five years of history too complicated to navigate in casual conversation. Daniel had brought a bouquet of white roses, which he now divided, handing several to Leo.

"Would you like to put these on your grandfather's grave? Even though you never met him, he's part of you."

Leo nodded, carefully placing the flowers as instructed. I watched their interaction with mixed emotions—grateful for Daniel's gentleness with our son, yet always vigilant. Trust, once broken, never fully heals.

While Leo was occupied counting the stone angels adorning a nearby monument, Daniel turned to me.

"How are the wedding plans coming along?"

"Good. Small ceremony next month at Ethan's family home in Vermont."

He nodded. "Leo seems excited about being ring bearer."

"He's practiced walking down the hallway with a pillow every night this week." I smiled despite myself.

"I'm happy for you, Lillian." His voice carried genuine sincerity. "Ethan's a good man. Better than I was."

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed with a text from Ethan: *Meeting running late. Will meet you at the restaurant by 1pm. Love you both.*

I texted back quickly, then noticed Daniel watching me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher.

"Do you ever wonder," he asked softly, "what would have happened if I hadn't been such a fool?"

The question caught me off guard. We'd maintained an unspoken agreement not to revisit the past.

"Sometimes," I admitted. "But then I look at Leo and our lives now, and I know things worked out as they should have."

He nodded, his gaze drifting to where Leo was now carefully arranging pebbles on a flat gravestone. "He's the best thing I ever did."

"On that, we agree."

Daniel hesitated, then reached into his pocket. "I have something for you. Found it while cleaning out some storage boxes." He handed me a small velvet pouch. "It belonged to my grandmother. I thought Leo might want it someday—a piece of his history."

Inside was an antique pocket watch with the Rhodes family crest. A peace offering of sorts.

"Thank you," I said, genuinely touched. "I'll keep it for him."

Our moment was interrupted by Leo's return, his hands dirty from exploring.

"Can we go see the scary lady now?" he asked, eyes wide with anticipation.

Daniel looked confused. "Scary lady?"

"He means Cynthia's memorial stone," I explained. Though still alive, Cynthia had commissioned an elaborate angel monument for herself years ago, its marble face weathered to an eerie grimace.

Daniel's expression darkened slightly. "I haven't visited that section in years."

"You don't have to come," I offered. "Leo and I can go alone."

"No," he said firmly. "I'll come. It's time."

We walked in silence to the far corner of the family plot, where Cynthia's monument loomed—a weeping angel with outstretched wings, now stained with green lichen and bird droppings.

"Is this where bad grandma will go?" Leo asked innocently, making both Daniel and me freeze.

"Leo," I said carefully, "who told you about 'bad grandma'?"

He shrugged. "I heard you and Uncle Ethan talking. You said she tried to steal me away."

I exchanged a glance with Daniel, who looked as uncomfortable as I felt. We'd both tried to shield Leo from the uglier parts of our history.

"Your grandmother made some mistakes," Daniel said finally, kneeling to Leo's level. "But it's important to remember that people are complicated. They're not just good or bad."

"Like in my movies when the villain has a sad story?" Leo asked.

"Something like that," I agreed, relieved by his simple understanding.

As Leo skipped ahead to examine a butterfly on a nearby flower, I reached into my bag and pulled out a single red rose. Daniel watched as I placed it at the base of Cynthia's monument.

"Forgiveness?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Closure," I corrected. "She nearly destroyed both of us, but without her schemes, Leo wouldn't exist. Neither would the life I've built."

Daniel nodded slowly. "She called me last week, you know. From house arrest. Still trying to manipulate, still convinced she was right about everything."

"Some people never change."

"But some do," he said quietly, his eyes meeting mine. "I want you to know I'm trying, Lillian. Every day."

Something in his earnest expression reminded me of the man I'd first fallen in love with—before ambition and family expectations had corrupted him. For a moment, I allowed myself to remember the good times: dancing in our kitchen at midnight, weekend escapes to Cape Cod, the look on his face when I told him I was pregnant.

The moment passed as Leo ran back to us, tugging at my hand. "Mommy, I'm hungry!"

"We should go," I said, checking my watch. "Ethan's meeting us for lunch."

Daniel nodded. "Of course. I'll walk you back to the car."

As we turned to leave, Leo suddenly stopped and pointed at Cynthia's monument. "Look! He's smiling just like the scary lady!"

We followed his gaze to where a cherub adorned the side of the monument, its marble smile eerily similar to Cynthia's cold, calculated one I remembered from board meetings.

"You're right," I said, the words escaping before I could stop them. "That smile is disgusting."

Daniel's startled laugh broke the cemetery silence—a genuine, unexpected sound that made Leo giggle in response. For a brief moment, the three of us shared something that felt almost like family.

At the cemetery gates, Daniel knelt to hug Leo goodbye. "Be good for your mom, okay? I'll see you next weekend for our camping trip."

"With marshmallows?" Leo confirmed seriously.

"Extra marshmallows," Daniel promised. "And maybe Ethan can come too, if he wants."

The olive branch wasn't lost on me. "I'll ask him," I said. "He's been teaching Leo to fish."

After Daniel drove away, Leo and I headed toward the restaurant where Ethan would meet us. My phone buzzed with notifications—our documentary series on corporate whistleblowers had just been nominated for a prestigious award.

"Mommy's company did something special," I explained to Leo as we walked. "People liked our stories about truth."

"Like how you always tell me to say the truth even when it's hard?" he asked, skipping alongside me.

"Exactly like that," I smiled, squeezing his hand.

As we approached the restaurant, I spotted Ethan waiting outside, his tall figure instantly recognizable. When he saw us, his face broke into the warm smile that had become my personal sanctuary over the years.

"There are my favorite people," he called, scooping up Leo for a spin that produced delighted squeals.

"How was the cemetery?" he asked quietly when Leo ran ahead to examine the restaurant's fish tank.

"Surprisingly healing," I admitted. "Daniel seems... different. More like the person I thought I married."

Ethan nodded, his arm slipping around my waist. "People can change when they're finally free to be themselves."

"Speaking of change," I said, "we have a board meeting this afternoon about the company expansion."

"Are you ready for it? Taking Truth Unveiled international is a big step."

I thought about how far I'd come—from lifestyle influencer to media CEO, from trophy wife to independent force. The journey had been brutal at times, but necessary.

"More than ready," I assured him, watching Leo press his nose against the fish tank glass. "Let's go, little boss," I called to him. "Mommy has an empire to run."

As Leo ran back to take my hand, I felt the weight of the Rhodes pocket watch in my purse—a remnant of the past I would preserve for him, along with all its complicated lessons. But unlike Cynthia, I wouldn't use it to control him. The future belonged to Leo alone.

The three of us entered the restaurant together—not the family I had once envisioned, but the one I now cherished. A family built on truth, however painful, rather than beautiful lies.

And in the end, that made all the difference.