Aldus was no longer around, and Holden's memories of Ariana were all but gone.

Only a handful of people knew about that year's happenings, and the real story seemed to lose its edge, drifting into obscurity.

His main hope now was that Ariana could work her magic on Adele's condition.

And as for Holden, it was probably best for Ariana to steer clear of him.

Devin's heart weighed heavy, especially since Holden was set to tie the knot with Sadie. Revealing Ariana's true identity to Holden now would only pile on more heartache.

"Devin, want to step in and take a load off?" Ariana inquired.

Devin, yanked back to the moment, declined.

"Nah. Got other fish to fry. Just watch over Adele, okay?"

Handing over Adele's little backpack, he filled Ariana in on the latest about Adele, and they settled on a time for Adele's pick-up.

Wrapping up, Devin was about to hit the road when a familiar kid's voice echoed.

"Mom, did sis get here yet?"

That voice made Devin stop dead. Whipping around, and just as Ariana was nearly shutting the door, he spotted the unmistakable silhouette of Melon.

Before he knew it, Ariana had shut the door.

Staring at that firmly closed door, disbelief was plastered all over Devin's face. He was sure he had just caught a fleeting glimpse of Melon inside!

Having keenly watched Melon at the summer camp, Devin was familiar with his looks and voice. And that quick peek moments ago just confirmed his hunch.

A thrill ran through Devin, making his hands quiver.

Now, if that kid went by the name Max and was Ariana's child... And given that Melon looked to be about four or five, it synced up with events from half a decade ago.

Melon was the spitting image of a young Holden. It was no wonder Devin had considered him as a Fredrick at the camp.

Melon had to be Holden's son!

So, Ariana hadn't gone ahead with the abortion, and she had given birth to the kid after the crash.