“Yes.”
The priest blinks, then exhales. “By the authority vested in me, you are now husband and wife.”
Seth doesn’t wait for permission.
He pulls me in and kisses me like he’s sealing a promise. His hand cups my jaw, thumb brushing once near my cheekbone. He pulls back just enough to look at me, eyes locked on mine.
“Hey, wife.”
My smile comes easy. “Hey, husband.”
He kisses me again, shorter this time, then rests his forehead against mine for a heartbeat before letting me go. When we turn, the people who stayed are still there. The ones who survived with us. The ones who chose us.
Beau whistles low. Elise wipes her eyes. Ryan smiles and stands a little taller. Miles squeezes his husband’s hand. Naomi smiles through tears while Travis tries to quickly wipe away his own while clapping.
Seth leans down, voice low. “Still glad you said yes?”
I laugh and press my lips to his again. “Always.”
The music fades behind us as we drift from the warmth of the ceremony, fingers laced. We follow the path around the edge of the property, past treesstrung with soft lights. For once, there’s no plan. No blood. No body count. Just us, walking into a life that doesn’t feel borrowed anymore. The stars above are real. The calm in my chest is real. It's just me and the man beside me, his hand in mine, his vows still echoing in my head.
Then he straightens and murmurs, “I’ve got a gift for you.”
I blink. “What?”
He doesn’t answer. He just takes my hand and starts walking, guiding me away from the lights and the warmth and the noise. The music fades behind us as we cut around the edge of the property, past trees strung with soft lights.
His grip stays firm. He leads me toward the parking lot, where a row of cars sits under dim lights.
Then I see it.
The long hood comes into view first, the black paint catching the last stretch of fading light. The shape of the body sits low and aggressive against the gravel, unmistakable even from several steps away.
My breath catches hard in my chest, and my feet stop moving before I realize it.
Seth turns his head toward me immediately. He watches my reaction closely, studying my face as if that matters more than the car sitting in front of us.
Parked just ahead of us is a 1969 black Barracuda.
My mouth opens, but my brain doesn’t catch up fast enough to find words.
“You didn’t,” I finally manage.
“I did. It was yours before everything went to hell. It’s still yours.”
My eyes burn. I swallow, because I refuse to cry right now. Not after surviving all of it. Not after finally getting something good.
Seth presses the keys into my palm. His fingers close over mine for a second. “You ready to take it on the road?”
I walk to the driver’s side like I’m afraid it’ll vanish if I move too fast. I open the door. The smell hits me first. Leather, old car and something expensive.
I slide in and grip the wheel.
Seth gets into the passenger seat and shuts the door. He looks over at me with that same look he gave me at the altar.
I turn the key.
The engine wakes up. The sound fills my chest.
