Page 215 of True Blue

Teddy’s eyes light up, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand.

“Tell me, baby.”

I bite my lip. “They mate for life.”

Teddy smiles so widely at that.

“Well,” he murmurs, “maybe I am an albatross.”

“No…” My eyes trail over every inch of his face, lingering on the butterfly stitches near his temple. “You’re my Teddy bear. You’ll always be that to me.”

Teddy stares at me for a long moment, his face so tender and loving that it almost hurts to look at.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve ever learned is that to be loved is to be seen and understood. Teddy sees me. Teddy understands me better than anyone else ever could.

He has seen me sharp and scared and defensive. He has seen me overwhelmed, furious, petty, stubborn, and exhausted.

And he is still here.

I have seen him at his worst too.

But more importantly, I have seen him choose to become better. That is what I hold onto.

The way he lets himself want the life he was once too afraid to reach for. The way he apologized without demanding forgiveness. The way he chased me through Europe, this ridiculous, wonderful bear of a man, and somehow made the vacation of my dreams even better.

I’m so proud of him.

But most of all, I can tell he is proud of himself.

We’re not perfect. We’re still going to stumble, make mistakes, and possibly even hurt each other because that’s just life. But I have no more fear that Teddy will allow me to be mistreated again. Not by his mother, himself, or anyone.

And I will keep him safe. I will always respect his boundaries and do everything I can to help him continue to heal. I will always choose Teddy.

And I know he will always choose me.

As Ellie said, that’s what truly matters in love.

Teddy lifts my hand to his mouth and presses a kiss to my hand. “Thank you, Indie,” he murmurs.

“For what?”

“For everything,” he says, shrugging like there is too much to name. “Too much, honestly. But mostly, I’m just thankful for you.”

“You deserve it, Teddy.”

Teddy’s smile softens and he presses another kiss to my knuckles, his thumb brushing over the ring finger of my left hand.

“You’re my dream girl. I’m just so happy to finally be the man you deserve.”

My eyes sting and I smile through it.

“Are you happy, Teddy?”

Teddy holds my gaze steadily.

“I’m so happy, Indie. Happiest man on earth, if we’re being honest…” his eyes search mine. “Are you, honey?”

I nod without hesitation.