Here's the final chapter of HFWC…*sobs* Thank you all so much for your support over the last year! I hope you've enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 30: Epilogue

Sesshomaru surveyed his three children sitting in front of him with his head held high. His three children, quite old in human years but rather young in yokai years, sat with each other while waiting patiently. Over the years, the children showed a trend of aging fairly normally until they were all respectively around ten years old before slowing down. According to Inuyasha, it was similar to how he had been when he was a child.

Yuichi, Sesshomaru's oldest son, had just had his one-hundredth birthday, although he looked hardly a day over seventeen. Sesshomaru and his other two children had gathered at their childhood home to have a small celebration. Sesshomaru vaguely remembered Inuyasha's Miko doing similar things for her children when they were young. She'd called them "birthday parties" or some other ridiculous term like that.

But today it was okay to be a little ridiculous. Several weeks ago had made forty years since Rin's death. The kids had known that she wouldn't live for the vast majority of their lifespans, so they'd been prepared for it. But it hadn't made losing her any easier.

Sesshomaru sighed and closed his eyes. Rin's death had been even harder than he'd expected even though he'd known it was coming. He could smell that the end was coming before Rin had even felt it. He thought he'd be prepared. He thought he'd be able to handle it.

He was wrong. They were all a wreck. It had taken a long time to feel even a little normal after losing her.

Surprising as it was, Inuyasha had been the one to help Sesshomaru and his children the most. His hanyo brother had lost his Miko not long before Rin died, so he was able to help Sesshomaru heal. The brothers became closer than ever, as did their respective children.

It had taken a while for Sesshomaru and his kids to pick up the pieces, but they'd been able to heal from Rin's death. Rin was brought up in conversation often as they all reminisced about memories of her. Sesshomaru himself would smile and add in little details about things the kids might have forgotten. Overall, their lives were happy. They missed Rin, but the healing they'd found made things a little better.

At the end of the day, Sesshomaru and his children went to Rin's grave to place flowers on it. On each of their birthdays, they would visit the grave and ask for blessings from Rin on their upcoming year.

As Yuichi lay his flower on the grave, he looked up at Sesshomaru.

"Do you think Mother would be proud of us?" he asked. Sesshomaru smiled.

"Absolutely," he replied. "She could be nothing but proud…as am I." Yuichi smiled at his father and turned to gaze at the grave.

Later that night, the family returned to their home. Once his children were asleep, Sesshomaru went to his bedroom and knelt in front of an old basket Rin had weaved decades ago. It was old and beginning to fall apart, but Sesshomaru refused to throw it away.

Like every year, Sesshomaru pulled out the familiar kimonos. Rin had insisted on saving all of the kimonos Sesshomaru had gotten her over the years; after her death, Sesshomaru began keeping them in the medium-sized basket.

Sesshomaru gently ran his fingers over the cloth before holding it up to his face. Eyes sliding shut, he breathed in the now just barely there scent of Rin. It was just enough to fill him with memories of their life together.

And after all this time, that was enough.

FIN.

Thank you all so, so, so much for sticking with me for the last year! This fic was so much fun to write and I appreciate all of you beautiful readers and your reviews. Sending a bunch of love your way!

Thank you!

Much love. :)