Page 124 of Merging Wright

“Jane!” a child calls out. Willow rushes toward us and Jane bends to embrace her.

“You need to come see my painting,” Willow says, her voice full of excitement. Her fingers tuck into Jane’s hand.

Jane bops the little girl on the nose. “I will in a minute, but first, I have a very important job. Would you like to help me with it?”

Willow peers at Jane before looking up at me. “Hi, Big Mac.”

“Hey, baby girl.” I lower to my haunches. “Come with us.”

Willow looks from me to Jane and back before stepping into my open arms. I scoop her up, and Jane’s breath hitches as we stand. Her eyes flick from Willow to me, and she chews her lower lip like she’s fighting a smile. I want her smile again. I want one just for me.

Carrying Willow, we enter a door that leads to an office above The Barber Shop. Jane has made the place an office for the future director of economic development, who happens to be her. Inside the fuse box is the main switch for the lights zigzagging over Bridge Alley.

“Flip the switch,” Jane says, placing her hand over Willow’s when she touches the fuse. Together, they move the lever until a heavy click occurs.

“Let’s see what happened,” Jane addresses Willow, and we cross to the opposite side of the sparse office. Looking outside, hundreds of white Edison lightbulbs crisscross over Bridge Alley, highlighting the festive holiday merchants beneath them.

“Let’s go downstairs and look,” Willow says, wiggling so I will put her down. She races ahead of us, turning the corner through the door frame.

“God, I love that child,” Jane whispers before we both hear her pattering steps down the staircase.

“We will be right there,” I holler after Willow, placing a hand on Jane’s arm when she moves forward to follow Willow. “I need to tell you something.”

Jane pauses, her eyes meeting mine in the dim office. Through the uncovered windows, the lights outside pepper the glass with glittering sparkles.

“I wanted to thank you.”

Jane’s breath hitches. “For—”

I cover her mouth with my hand for a second and shake my head. “For all your hard work. For your devotion to this town. You saved Wrightwood.” I swallow, dropping my palm to gaze at her lips. “You saved me.”

“Mach,” she mumbles but I’m not ready for her to speak.

“I’ve hated this town and felt like it always hated me. And I despised that godforsaken river. But the night I jumped in it, and you were there on the embankment worried about me, telling me to never, ever do something like that again, I knew I was different.” I chuckle to myself. That night felt like a baptism of sorts, which would sound strange to say aloud. I went into the water, cursing it, and its history with me, but I came out a man more determined than ever to live for the future and keep my wife. The woman standing before me, slipping through my fingers.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry I couldn’t make you partner at Impact. But you’ve been a partner in every other way that’s important. Standing by me when I returned here. Holding my hand as you married me. Being my wife in so many ways, it felt real. To me. It is real.”

I reach for Jane’s hand and run my thumb over her fourth finger, the one wearing a small ring that binds us together.

“If I can choose a life partner, I choose you, Mrs. Wright.”

Jane sniffles and I glance up. A tear trickles along her nose.

“You did good here, Jane.”

“It takes a village.” She tries to chuckle but fails as she chokes.

“No, Jane. It only took you being here to make all the difference.”

We hear the patter of little feet racing back up the staircase, and any second, we’ll be interrupted.

“I just thought you should know I’m sorry. But I’m not sorry we got married. And I’m not unhappy with you as my wife.”

“Come on, slow pokes.” Willow laughs as she stands just inside the office. “Were you two kissing again?”

Jane turns to Willow, her mouth falling open, and I lift her hand to my lips. I want to kiss my wife.

“We’re coming right now,” Jane says to Willow before turning back to me.