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The song soared into a stunning, powerful bridge.

“I’m done with the glass, I’m done with the view,

I just want the dark if I’m standing with you...”

A soft, choked sob came from behind me. Harper was pressing a hand to her mouth, tears spilling over her cheeks. Iris wiped her own eyes, leaning heavily against Austin. My family watched me with knowing, fiercely supportive smiles. Mom was fighting back her own tears. Eli offered a slow, respectful nod from his chair. Braden gave me a thumbs-up.

They saw it. The entire world saw it.

Sutton’s song finished on a high, clear note that hung in the studio air.

David turned to the camera. “I think she said it all. Thank you, Sutton, for a powerful statement about your own passion and life.”

The screen faded to a commercial break, ending the segment on a moment of absolute vulnerability.

When I stood, my legs felt unsteady. I didn’t say a word to the room. I simply turned and walked toward the sliding glass doors leading to the back deck. Stepping out into the humid morning air, I slid the glass shut behind me, sealing the joyful chaos inside.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed the new number. Sutton was probably being whisked into a dressing room, surrounded by a hundred people. She’d never answer.

It rang once. Twice.

"Ben?" Her voice was breathless, surrounded by the chaotic background noise of a television studio. A producer shouted something in the distance.

"I saw it." I gripped the wooden railing. The ocean breeze cooled the sweat on my neck, but a tight, burning knot remained anchored in my chest. "I saw the whole thing."

Silence stretched over the line for a few seconds. "And?"

"You defended the worst moment of my life on national television." My voice dropped, rough and entirely stripped of the armor I’d worn for weeks. Hell, years. "And the song... Sutton. I spent over ten years believing my only value was standing in the background. I told you I was just the frame, and you took that and made it sound like the most important thing in the world. You made me feel completely… I don’t know. Seen."

A soft, shaky exhale rustled against the phone speaker. "You are the most important thing in the room, Ben. You just needed someone to pull you out of the shadows."

"I want to be out of them." Leaning my head back, I stared up at the clear blue sky. "I know this defies every logical rule. We spent barely a week together hiding in a swamp and eating frozen pizza. But logic doesn’t matter anymore. I love you, Sutton. Pushing you away was the stupidest mistake I’ve ever made. I need to see you."

A wet, joyful laugh bubbled through the connection. "I love you too. I was incredibly angry with you at first, but I love you." The confident, vibrant woman fully restored herself over the line. "And the timeline might be hard to believe, but I did get a career-defining ballad out of the heartbreak. I need to see you too. Right away."

Fierce, expanding joy swelled in my chest. "Does that mean you’ll come down here? Back to the island?" My mind raced as I tried to work out logistics of flights and rental cars.

"I have a private jet, Ben," she teased, the confident, vibrant woman fully restored.

I burst into laughter, a sound that was so real I hardly recognized it. “Guess I’d better get used to that.”

"Mindy is currently terrorizing a PA to get our bags to the town car. I’ll have her drop me off at Teterboro. I can be in Key West by late afternoon."

As I stared through the glass door, my vibrant, messy family moved through the room, celebrating. Eli was gently rocking his daughter in his arms. Finn was triumphantly placing the final block on his LEGO tower, and it hadn’t fallen over, miracle of miracles.

"Good," I said as a massive smile stretched across my face. "Hurry up. I promised to introduce you to my family, and we have a bonfire to plan for tonight."

"Fabulous! I’ll bring the marshmallows."

Ending the call, I slid the phone into my pocket. The ocean breeze coming off the water carried the bracing scent of new beginnings. Opening the glass door, I stepped back into the glorious noise of my family.

"Well?" Harper asked, abandoning the high chairs to rush toward me. "What did she say?"

“Remember that bonfire meeting we were planning before the press found Sutton?” I asked, raising my voice to carry over the din. "We need to hit Island Market. Sutton is on her way, and we’ve got a party to put together for tonight.”

A cheer erupted in the living room, startling Alana awake in Eli’s arms. The frame was solid, the picture was coming home. And for the first time in years, I stepped fully into the light.

Chapter Twenty-Nine