In the dim light, birds chirped in the distance.
A light, refreshing breeze blew, bringing an inexplicable feeling of well-being, as if it were there to celebrate the moment.
"Am I... back?" he asked himself as he opened his eyes.
The forms were hazy at first, then slowly cleared, and the man could make out the outline of his home.
He looked around and instantly recognized the place. The house, the forest teeming with life, the mountains so recognizable by their high peaks... Everything was the same.
Had it all been a dream? Was this the end of his nightmare?
Strangely, everything was quiet, and it was only when he caught himself murmuring that he came to his senses.
"Marianne! Hella!" he cried, his heart pounding furiously. "Please don't let this be real..."
Suddenly, a voice he knew well was heard behind him.
"Dear? Are you all right?"
He turned abruptly to see her standing before him, wearing a white dress and looking curious.
He froze for a moment, wondering if he was dreaming again. Just then, a small creature struck him from behind. He turned and saw a face he could recognize from miles away.
He felt in his heart that what he was experiencing was real, that this was the happiness he was looking for.
"Daddy!" his daughter exclaimed as she hugged him. "Let's go play?" she added.
Then he looked up with trembling eyes and, shedding a tear, said, "It's all right now." Then he picked up his little girl and, as he walked towards their house, said, "Okay, let's do this. What do you want to do?"
"I want to play hide-and-seek!" she said, grinning broadly.
"Not until you've washed the vegetables," added his wife, who accompanied them.
Their voices gradually faded until they disappeared altogether, hidden by the melodious chirping of birds. And up there, far away in the sky, the sun shone, bathing everything for eternity.
He had finally found his happiness.