Kneeling for a Second Chance (Sebastian and Valeria) novel Chapter 252

Sebastian held the wooden box in his hands, and it was as if every ounce of strength drained out of him. His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees on the deck.

He lowered his head, and his back was stiff. Valeria couldn't see his face, only his trembling shoulders.

Sebastian was in so much pain that he couldn't say a word, his vision already blurred. He looked at the wooden box in his arms, his fingers trembling as he touched it.

Inside were his son's ashes.

On the way up the mountain, he had asked her once what they were here for.

When Valeria came out holding the wooden box, his chest tightened sharply. He had carefully asked her what was inside.

In that moment, it was as if Sebastian felt something deep inside him stir.

Then, the grief hit, crashing over him so hard he could barely breathe. He stared at the box in his arms, his face expressionless, and his body stiffened.

His breathing grew difficult, and the ocean breeze stung his face as tears ran uncontrollably down his cheeks.

Valeria looked at Sebastian for a long moment before she reached up to smooth her hair. She pulled it into a loose ponytail with the band she wore on her wrist. Then, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and rubbed her face, as if trying to make herself look a little more composed.

She crouched down so she was eye level with Sebastian, who was kneeling on the ground.

She reached out, her fingertips trembling as they brushed the wooden box in his arms. In a whisper, she said, "Louis, Daddy and I are here to lay you to rest, okay? You only ever saw me before, but now you get to see your dad, too."

Valeria's voice was soft, but in Sebastian's ears, it felt like every word was tearing his heart apart.

She spoke of Louis' death and the pain of those years with a steady calm.

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