Years later. Seward Harbor. Gibson on the boat scrubbing the deck, followed by the other crew cleaning the boat.
After scrubbing, he drags the fish box out from the boat back to the factory owned by Jacob Barry. Barry is the nicest man Gibson ever met beside Craig. His wife, Jane Barry. A beautiful woman with no child.
Gibson's arrival in Seward, Alaska back years ago. Barry asked Gibson to stay in his brother's old house not far from his. Everyday Barry and Gibson go to work together until Gibson finds a house suitable for his salary budget.
Not much, still you can call it home. His house near the Harbor.
"Put them over here, Gibson. Over here!" called Barry. "John over there! Nick there!"
Barry points over here, over there. Barry had ten crew who worked with him on the boat including Gibson. "Cathy, come on. Do I have to tell you?"
"Owh shut up Barry!" He laughed. She cut the fish. "Next time don't you ever say that again to my mom that I had a crush on.." She stops, eyes met Gibson. "Someone". She blinks and breathes.
Barry laughs again, he turns to Gibson who is busy and doesn't bother to look up.
"Gibson. Cathy had a crush on you". He looked up, smiled then he left. "Sorry, Cathy. He's not interested. He couldn't forget the woman of his life, mother of his child".
"He had a family before?!"
Barry nodded, yes. "Cathy, how long have you known me? Like forever.. and how long you work for me? Like five or six month. Two years Gibson worked with me, you were like a teenager and still in school when you met him. Then you work with me after you see him".
"I know what you're trying to do, Cathy. Just don't. Why don't you like Pickles. He'd had a crush on you, you both went to school together".
"Don't you dare, Barry! I'm not like Pickles!"
"He's a man of God. He works with the church, beside he didn't swear for being a virgin". Barry wink. "He's just the altar boy".
Cathy rolled her eyes, resuming her work. Cutting the fish head, imagine she was cutting off Barry's head.
"You're funny, Cathy". He walked. "I know what you think when you cut that fish... my head".
Later then. Gibson sat on the Harbor deck, drinking water and eating a sandwich for lunch. He tries to forget about Belle, knowing she already married Jake.
Two years after their divorce and he had gone somewhere he belonged. But he cannot forget about Vincent and Poppy. His own child.
Belle now is twenty eight, he is thirty eight. Ten years apart. Another two years he will reach his forty. Not old enough, still masculine and handsome. He hoped Belle would forget about him so then he can move on with this life.
Finishing his sandwich, heard someone walk towards him. "Lunch?" Barry takes a seat beside him. "And you didn't invite me". Gibson chuckles. "I know who you are, Gibson. I read about you on the internet".
Gibson looked up. "I check on you because your name I was familiar with, and there you are on the small articles that told me you used to be a convict, a murderer. So, your ex-wife.. are your victim and the child you didn't plan to exist".
Barry heard Gibson inhale then exhale. He bowed and regretted what is doing.
"I'm not blaming you, Gibson. I won't fired you. I trust you". He stared. "You're a good man, Gibson. If you really are a bad person, I won't be here with you. You kill me for the first time we've met".
Gibson and Barry laugh. Gibson spoke. "I didn't know what to say, Barry. I don't know where to begin. I killed her best friend. I will never forget those nights, creeping inside her room and stabbing her in the chest. I let her die". He wiped his tears. "She was sixteen".
"What past is past, Gibson. Now you are here. You are a free man. Do whatever you want to do with your life. Have you contacted your family since?"
Gibson shook his head no. "No even your kids?" Barry sighs. "Look, Gibson. Tonight we celebrate our holidays. Where will you go? Do not take a bus. Seriously, you're crazy if you did".
Gibson studied his palm hand while he laughed. In his mind, there's a special place he wanted to go, that he abandoned. A house that he called home.
"A place I called home". He smiled.
Colorado. Day. Gibson went to cemetery park. He'd been searching for Emma's grave. As he found her headstones with her name on it. He drops the flowers on top of her grave and cries.
"Hi". He says. "It's me. Your English teacher, ex-husband of your best friend. If you can hear me now, I want to say sorry that I killed you because of my obsession towards Belle. I kill because I thought you are the reason Belle hates me, you are the reason she.. stay away from me. I was afraid of losing Belle. I was afraid that you would take her away from me, without doubt or hesitation I decided what I have too. I made my decision to kill you that night, with your dead I thought she would come back to me".
Sobbing. He wiped his tears. "But I was wrong. Killing you is the worst thing to happen between me and Belle. She hates me, she hates me very much. It hadn't ended like that until she told me you comfort her in her dream. You asked her to accept me, accept her faith. It took months to have her in my arms".
"I received what I had done. I pray if God lets me.. I want to go back in time and never meet Belle and you. I wouldn't hurt Jake. I won't kill people. I won't hurt everyone I know. I made decisions that I regret, and I took them as learning experiences... I'm human, not perfect, like anybody else".
His knee weak, drops on the ground, he cries so hard on top of her grave. "Forgive me... forgive me".
Minute later. He felt someone touch his right shoulder, look up from the grave, his eyes up and shocked. Something or someone he had seen right in front of his eye.
Emma.
She smiled at him. "Hello, Mr. Gibson". He jolt back away from her. "Can you relax? Sheesh!" Chuckles. "You're not dead yet. I come here to visit". She point at him. "You. Because you ruining my grave with your tears".
"I'm not dead?" asked Gibson. Emma shakes her head no. "It feels so real to me. Aren't you.. Emma. But I kill you".
"Yeah. You stab my chest, through my heart. Lucky I don't have any surgery, boobs or else it's blown up".
She smiled again. Her hand reached him. He jolted again, her hand so cold. "I heard you, Mr. Gibson. Not just hear, I saw it too. You and Belle are in bed together, you know".
She chuckled, and spoke back. "Stop blaming yourself. Neither is it your fault. I'm happy where I belong. You have a beautiful little bastard of yours, Mr. Gibson".
She means Vincent and Poppy. "They're amazing. Brilliant, beautiful, strong, a fighter like you and Belle. Why did you divorce her?"
"I had to. I don't want to hurt her anymore. She had enough. I had enough. I let her go so she can move on with her life without me".
"You think she's happy when you divorce her? I don't think so. I knew Belle. If she's happy - she is happy. If she is not - she is not. You know what I mean, Mr. Gibson".
He shook his head. "Of course she's happy. She married Jake".
... "You'll think...."
She reached his arm in a smile. Gibson jolted, got up from the ground. He looks around and there is no Emma with him. Did he just meet the angel, ghost of Emma or she really was Emma.
What does she mean by her words?
Dusting his pants. He takes a last look at Emma's headstones. Before he took a bus to Kansas.
Days later. Garnett, Kansas. Gibson parks the car in front of an abandoned farmhouse he and Belle used to live here while they're young. On his arrival at the bus station, he rented a car and bought groceries.
The house seems to have changed since he left. He grabbed the grocery bag out from the car and went inside the house. He still got the keys.
Drop the grocery bag on top of the counter kitchen and begin cleaning the house. The house is full of dust and spider webs around the place. He starts with the kitchen, living room then upstairs.
Hours passed. Gibson walked upstairs, towards the room he shared with Belle. He laid on bed. Remember those days he had watched Belle asleep in this bed every night. They share a passionate kiss. Just those days, for now... he had nothing to share with her.
He loses Belle and the twins. She got her new life, new husband. Hoping Jake will always make her happy as he couldn't do for her. For Gibson, divorce is the good thing to do. He's happy, she's happy.. Everyone is happy.
As a mind thinking. Not knowing he had fallen asleep.
"Good morning. New neighbor eh". Gibson looks up, turns his back. He was chopping the piles. Didn't hear someone walk creep behind him. "I'm Jason. I walked in here and saw you. That is my house". He points. "Not far from yer".
Gibson nodded, resuming his chopping. "You want weed? I'm selling, you know, a good market". He chuckles, seeing Gibson had no interest in weed. "You're not a kind of talk person aye. I leave you here. If you need it.. just knock the door". Then he left.
Later that afternoon. He's about to eat, someone knocking at the door. Knowing just Jason who will not stop asking him about the weed. He tried to ignore it, and the knocking didn't stop there.
He pushed his chair, walk toward the door.
"I've told you, Jason. I'm not interested in you weed". Reaching the knob, he swung the door open. Stunned, he backed away from the door. His heart was beating fast. A person he had loved stood in front of him. "Belle..."
She smiled. Her smile made her happy to see him again. "Hi". She held her tears. "I've been looking for you".
"Why?"
Their eye meet. Belle took a step forward. "You look old". Chuckles. "It's been two years. Maybe more since our divorce the last time I saw you. You gone without word and you left me speechless. You make my life miserable after your left. Lucky I have my parents who always there for me".
"I hate you, Gibson. I hate you, my husband. I hate you for everything".
Both Gibson and Belle in tears. Without a word from him, he rushed toward her. They share their passionate kiss that he misses so much. So did, Belle. She misses his touch. Misses him everything.
"Don't leave me..." says Belle between their kisses.
"I won't".
Those moments. Gibson and Belle hear someone clearing their throat. Broke their kiss. Craig stood in a smile.
"You bastard! Finally, I know you will be back in here, that's why I couldn't sell this house. This house where you commit a miracle thing happens. You brought yourself twins".
"Twins?"
Gibson looked over Craig's shoulder. Where he could see Vincent and Poppy running toward him and hugging. Craig sees a one happy family in frame reunite after two years apart.
"I'm sorry what I say to you, dad. I don't mean it. You were right. I wasn't born yet. I'm a child and I don't know what adults think doing". said Vincent.
Gibson hugged him tightly. "Please come back to us, dad. Marry mom. Let us be a family again".
"Absolutely. Of course we are. Yeah, I asked your mom to marry me. Right here, right now. I don't care. I won't leave my family ever again".
Craig rolled his eyes, said. "Oh, brother".