The hospital room was quiet, filled only with the soft beeping of the heart monitor and the faint hum of activity outside. The sunlight streamed through the window, now higher in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over Samuel’s face as he stirred awake once more.
As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Zinnia.
She was sitting beside his bed, her hands resting in her lap, but her eyes—those familiar brown eyes he had always adored—were watching him with such tenderness that his heart clenched.
"Zia," he murmured, his voice still hoarse from sleep. "You should take a rest."
Zinnia didn’t respond right away. She simply continued to look at him, as if memorizing every detail of his face. Then, after a pause, she softly called his name.
"James."
Samuel’s entire body stiffened. His breath caught in his throat, his drowsiness vanishing in an instant.
What did she just call him?
His heart pounded as he slowly turned to face her fully. "What... did you just call me?"
Zinnia held his gaze. "James," she repeated, her voice filled with certainty.
He sat up abruptly, ignoring the slight ache in his body. "How did you know?" he asked, his voice laced with both confusion and something else—something like fear.
Zinnia reached into her pocket and pulled out a familiar object, then gently placed it in his hands.
His eyes widened the moment he saw it.
The watch.
The same watch she had given him on his birthday, right before everything changed.
His fingers trembled as he held it, tracing the edges as a flood of emotions surged through him.
"Your father told me the truth," Zinnia said softly, watching him carefully.
Samuel—or rather, James—gripped the watch tighter. His throat felt dry as memories surfaced, one after another, clearer than they had ever been before.
"This..." He swallowed. "Isn’t this your birthday gift to me?"
Zinnia’s eyes widened. "You remember?"
James lifted his gaze to her and nodded slowly. "Yeah... My memories returned when I was drowning in the lake yesterday."
A sharp intake of breath escaped Zinnia’s lips before she threw herself into his arms, wrapping him in a tight embrace.
"James," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I finally found you. You’re alive."
James let out a shaky breath, his arms coming up to hold her just as tightly. He buried his face against her shoulder, his own emotions overwhelming him.
"I’m sorry," he murmured, his voice thick. "I came back too late."
Zinnia only tightened her grip, as if afraid that if she let go, he would disappear again.
For a long moment, they simply held each other, allowing the reality of everything to sink in.
Then, suddenly, a cheerful voice cut through the quiet moment.
"Zinnia, I brought lunch for you!"
The two quickly pulled apart just as Lily stepped into the room, holding a lunch bag in her hands. She blinked in surprise at the sight of them so close together.
"Oh..." Lily’s eyes widened slightly. "Did I just walk in at the wrong time?"
James let out a small, awkward cough while Zinnia, despite the warmth in her cheeks, turned to her best friend with a smile.
"Don’t go," Zinnia said quickly before Lily could retreat. "You’re right on time. I’m actually hungry."
Lily sighed in relief, stepping further inside. "Good, because I made sure to get your favorites." She placed the bag on the small table before turning to Samuel—or rather, James—and giving him a playful look. "And I got extra, in case you’re hungry too."
James gave a small smile. "Thanks, Lily."
Lily narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms. "You know, I still can’t get used to you smiling like that. You always looked so serious before."
Zinnia chuckled as she took out the food, handing a container to James before grabbing one for herself.
The three of them ate together, the atmosphere surprisingly light despite everything that had happened.
Once they were done, Zinnia wiped her hands with a napkin and glanced at Lily. "There’s something I need to tell you."
Lily, who had just taken a sip of her drink, paused and raised a brow. "What is it?"
Zinnia took a deep breath before saying, "Samuel... is James."
Lily froze. She blinked, looking between Zinnia and James, clearly trying to process what she had just heard.
"What?" she finally said, staring at them in disbelief.
Zinnia nodded. "It’s true. James lost his memories and was taken in by Steven Lucas. That’s why he’s been living as Samuel all this time."
Lily’s jaw practically dropped. "Wait, wait, wait." She turned to James, pointing at him. "So you’re telling me... that you—Samuel—are actually James? As in, the James we’ve been searching for all these years?"
James gave a small nod, looking slightly apologetic. "Yes... it seems that way."
Lily stared at him for a long moment before letting out a loud sigh, rubbing her temples. "Oh my God. This is insane." She then turned back to Zinnia, shaking her head. "So the person we were looking for has been with us all along?"
Zinnia let out a soft chuckle. "I know. It’s unbelievable, isn’t it?"
Lily groaned, throwing her hands up. "Unbelievable is an understatement! I mean, you were engaged to him and you still didn’t know?"
James cleared his throat awkwardly. "In our defense, I didn’t know either."
Lily let out an exasperated laugh. "This is like a plot twist straight out of a drama."
Zinnia smiled, looking at James with warmth in her eyes. "A twist of fate."
James met her gaze, his own filled with emotions he had yet to put into words.
Lily let out another dramatic sigh before shaking her head with a small smile. "Well, I guess now I really need to process all this." She then looked at Zinnia. "But one thing’s for sure—you finally got him back."
Zinnia squeezed James’s hand under the table. "Yes," she whispered, her heart full. "I finally did."