“Perfect timing,” Liam muttered, a hint of his old wry humor returning.
Despite everything, Sunny laughed — a genuine, spontaneous sound. “The universe has a sense of dramatic timing, apparently.”
In the firelight, Liam’s face was a study in shadows and warmth, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames. He looked both vulnerable and strong, uncertain and resolute.
“Before the lights went out, I was going to tell you something,” he said softly, hesitation evident in his voice. “Something important.”
Sunny set down the wooden spoon she’d been holding, giving him her full attention. The darkness somehow made it easier, creating a pocket of intimacy in the storm-surrounded cabin.
“Before everything fell apart,” Liam continued, “before I made the worst mistake of my life, I asked you a question. Do you remember?”
Sunny’s breath caught. Of course she remembered. In the aftermath of discovering she was pregnant, in that brief window of joy before the loss, Liam had asked her to marry him. The memory had been both sweet and painful to recall during their separation.
“I remember,” she whispered, her fingers finding the edge of the counter, gripping it for support.
“I meant it then,” Liam said, his voice low and fervent. “And I mean it now, even more. I want to marry you, Sunny. I want to build a life with you. A family. Not because of obligation or circumstance, but because I love you. Because I can’t imagine my life — our lives — without you in it.”
The declaration hung in the air between them, honest and unadorned. No grand speeches, no elaborate promises — just the simple, profound truth of his feelings.
Sunny sucked in a sharp breath, the sound audible in the quiet cabin. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her pulse racing so fast she could feel it in her fingertips, her throat, her temples. This was what she had wanted, what she had dreamed of during those lonely nights away — and yet now that it was offered, fear clawed at her insides.
“I can’t answer that,” she said finally, her voice trembling. “Not now. Not when everything is still so…”
“Raw,” Liam supplied, understanding in his tone. “I know. I’m not asking for an answer now. I just needed you to know where I stand. That my feelings haven’t changed. That if anything, they’ve only grown stronger in your absence.”
Sunny moved toward the fire, drawn to its light and heat as much as to the need to organize her swirling thoughts. She sank onto the small sofa, the same spot where Betty Bear had been propped just hours ago — before her world had once again been turned upside down by Liam Anderson.
After a moment’s hesitation, Liam joined her, careful to maintain a respectful distance. The firelight played across his features, highlighting the strong line of his jaw, the furrow between his brows that appeared when he was worried — which was often.
“You know what scares me most?” Sunny asked, staring into the flames rather than at him. “It’s not that you might hurt me again, though that terrifies me too. It’s that I might not be what they need — what you need — in the long run.”
“Sunny—” Liam began, but she held up a hand, stopping him.
“Please. Let me get this out.” She took a deep breath, the firelight reflecting in her eyes. “I’ve spent my life being temporary. The girl who passes through. The one who doesn’t stay. And just when I thought I’d found a place to belong, it all fell apart. What if that’s just… who I am? What if I’m not meant to be permanent in anyone’s life?”
The vulnerability in her voice, the deep-seated insecurity laid bare — it was the core of her fear, exposed in the flickering darkness.
Liam shifted closer, not touching her but close enough that she could feel the warmth of him. “You’re not temporary, Sunny. You never were. What happened between us wasn’t because you weren’t enough. It was because I was scared. Because I let my fears override what I knew in my heart was right.”
Sunny glanced over at the stuffed bear, now sitting on the coffee table. “She stole her sister’s most precious possession,” she murmured. “Kate’s last gift.”
“She did,” Liam confirmed, following her gaze. “That’s how much you mean to her, Sunny. How much you mean to all of us.”
The realization settled over Sunny like a warm blanket — she was loved. Truly, deeply loved by this small, broken, beautiful family. Despite all her fears, despite her history of rejection, despite the pain of their recent separation — she was loved.
Outside, the storm continued to rage, wind howling around the corners of the cabin, rain pelting the windows in sheets. But inside, beside the crackling fire, a different kind of storm was calming — the turmoil in Sunny’s heart gradually giving way to something else. Not certainty, not yet. But possibility.
“I need time,” she said finally, turning to face Liam fully. “Not to decide if I love you — I do, Liam. I love you so much it terrifies me.” Her hands twisted in her lap, fingers interlacing and separating in a nervous rhythm. “But I need to believe this is real. That we’re both stepping into this with our eyes open. That when the next challenge comes — and it will come — we don’t break apart.”
Rather than disappointment, relief washed over Liam’s face. “Time,” he repeated, nodding slowly. “I can give you time. As much as you need.”
“But,” Sunny continued, a small smile forming despite the gravity of the moment, “I think I’d like to come back. Not to pick up exactly where we left off. Not because everything is magically fixed.” Her smile faltered slightly, uncertainty creeping back in. “But because those girls deserve better than what we’ve given them.”
Hope blazed in Liam’s eyes, so bright it was almost painful to witness. “Really?” he asked, his voice low, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile moment.
“Really,” Sunny confirmed, her own heart lightening as she spoke. “Because running away hasn’t solved anything.”
Liam reached for her hand, his movements slow and deliberate, giving her every opportunity to pull away. When she didn’t, he enfolded her fingers in his much larger ones, the familiar calluses of his palm rough against her skin.
