FIN

I will see you later, Legacy

“This is no farewell—merely a gentle retreat
into the quiet sanctuary of their world.”

Esme has always believed her characters should feel real—and she treats them as such. She gives them the dignity of privacy; she allows them to move on quietly, continuing their lives beyond the pages, in whatever form that takes. She respects the journey she’s crafted for each of them, never forcing their stories to stretch beyond meaning or purpose. “It’s something I learned in a writing class,” she explains. “The instructor said: know when to end it. If the point has been made—if the conflict is resolved, the battle won or lost, the character has lived or died—then stop. Let it go.” That advice stuck with her. Over time, she’s watched too many strong stories and memorable characters weaken when their arcs were unnaturally extended—drifting from the very things that once made them resonate.

Esme feels at peace with how the story began, how it unfolded, and how it concludes. There are no regrets. She allows her characters to rest with Fin—not because their stories are over, but because their time in this world has come to a close. And that, to Esme, is the true art of storytelling—knowing when to step back. She doesn’t believe in clinging to characters for the sake of nostalgia or audience demand. To do so would be to compromise their integrity, to distort their truth. Just as in life, some stories are meant to be brief, others long, but all must end when their meaning has been fulfilled.

Still, the impact of those characters lingers. Their voices, their choices, their quiet growth—these stay with the reader, echoing long after the final chapter. That is the kind of legacy Esme hopes to leave behind: not an endless series, but a finished story that lives on in the hearts of those who experienced it.

Because for her, the beauty of storytelling lies not only in the telling—but in knowing when to let go.