Because this—
this right here—
is everything I almost lost.
My chest tightens, not from pain this time… but from something deeper. Heavier.
Gratitude.
Relief.
Love so strong it damn near drops me to my knees.
She glances up—and finds me watching.
Her smile softens.
Not the bright one she gives the kids.
Not the polite one she gives strangers.
No.
This one is mine.
“You going to stand there all day,” she calls, tilting her head, “or are you coming down here?”
I push off the railing, boots hitting the wood once before I step into the grass.
Closer.
Closer.
Until she’s right in front of me.
For a second, neither of us speaks.
We don’t need to.
Because every memory—every second of fear, every moment I thought I’d lost her—is still there. Just quieter now.
I reach for her, my hand settling at her waist, pulling her in.
She comes without hesitation.
Always does.
“You okay?” she asks softly.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “Just… making sure this is real.”
Her fingers slide up my chest, resting over my heart.
“It’s real.”
I cover her hand with mine, pressing it there.
