Epilogue: Things Left Behind

The warm glow of Christmas lights cast flickering reflections across the surface of the bay. The Black Orchid office had been transformed—at least as much as Jessica would allow—with a small tree, a few strings of lights, and a well-stocked bar. The smell of cinnamon and spice filled the air, thanks to Hannah’s insistence that Christmas in Belize still needed mulled wine.

Hannah and Kevin had arrived that morning, bringing with them an unexpected surprise—a tiny bundle wrapped in soft pink. Their daughter.

"We named her Jess," Hannah said with a proud smile as she cradled the baby in her arms. "Jessica Marie Donnelly."

Jessica had been stunned into silence at first, staring at the tiny, sleeping infant. "You named her after me?"

"Of course we did," Kevin said, handing her a drink.
Leanna, deadpan but not unkind, "Face it, Jess. You’re family. No getting out of it now."

The gang had gathered in the living room, reminiscing about old times. Olivia told stories from their college days, Leanna laughed at the memories of their investigations, and for a night, they tried to let go of Vanguard, of the paranoia, of the life that always felt like it was one step ahead of them.

But Jessica couldn’t.

Each time she started to share a memory, doubt crept in. Was it real? Had it truly happened the way she remembered? Or was she just telling herself a story—a fabricated past built on someone else's foundation? The uncertainty gnawed at her, more than she let on.

She clenched her glass in her hand and made a silent resolution. Everything after them, that was hers. Not Vanguard’s. Not anyone’s. That life was real. Those memories belonged to her. No matter what Vanguard had done to her, they could never take that away.

As she sat watching the baby sleep in Hannah’s arms, Hannah glanced up at her, expression serious yet warm. "Jess, I wanted to ask you something."

Jessica blinked, caught off guard. "What’s that?"

Hannah exchanged a brief look with Kevin before turning back to her. "Would you be Jessica Marie’s godmother?"

Jessica’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. Of all the things she had expected, this wasn’t one of them.

"I… I don’t know what to say."

"Say yes," Kevin said, smirking. "You’re already the reason we named her after you. Might as well make it official."

Jessica exhaled, a small but genuine smile touching her lips. "Then yes. Of course. I’d be honored."

Hannah beamed, squeezing her hand in gratitude. "Thank you, Jess. It means a lot to us."

Then Kevin’s voice broke through the warmth of the moment, a somber note in the holiday cheer. "Hey, Jess… Did you hear about Ryan?"

Jessica looked up, her stomach tightening at the sudden shift in his tone. "What about him?"

Kevin hesitated, then sighed. "His plane went down. A few weeks ago. No survivors."

Silence settled over the room like a heavy weight. Jessica felt the air leave her lungs, her grip tightening around her glass. The warmth of the room faded, replaced by a hollow, gnawing ache.

"I—" The words caught in her throat. "Yeah," Jessica said softly. "Seems I never do."

Leanna, Hannah, and Olivia all turned to Kevin, shooting him simultaneous looks of disapproval. "Kevin, really?" Olivia snapped.

"Couldn’t that have waited?" Hannah muttered under her breath, rocking the baby gently, as if to soften the tension.

Kevin shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just thought she should know."

Leanna was already at Jessica’s side, her hand resting gently on her shoulder. "I’m sorry, Jess."

Jessica exhaled shakily, nodding. Ryan. Gone. Just like that. The man who taught her jazz and made her laugh in the quiet. Who called her “kiddo” even when she was at her sharpest. Who saw the whole broken shape of her and stayed anyway. She hadn’t seen or spoken to him in over a year, but now the silence felt permanent. It wasn’t just absence, but finality.

The night continued, gifts were exchanged, laughter returned, but Jessica felt disconnected — adrift in memories of a love that had never truly faded. It wasn’t until the party had died down and she sat alone on the balcony, staring out over the dark waters, that it hit her. Ryan’s plane went down the same night they had left Budapest.

Was it just a plane crash? It was just bad luck. That’s what they’d say, but Jessica had stopped believing in luck a long time ago. She closed her eyes against the thought, but it settled deep in her bones, an unease she knew would never truly leave her.

Look for Jessica to return in:  

Dominion Protocol Volume 5: The Echoes that Remain