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Lee finally turned to face his daughter, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He swallowed hard, struggling to find the right words to express the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. As he looked into Ariel's hopeful gaze, he found himself grappling with the knowledge of what he had missed and the possibilities that still lay before them.
"Starting over... It's a beautiful thought, Ariel," he murmured, a bittersweet smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "But it's not as simple as just snapping our fingers and making everything better. There's so much damage—"
"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, Dad," Ariel interjected, her determination unwavering. She took a step closer, closing the physical distance between them as she tried to bridge the emotional chasm that had formed over the years. "We may never be able to undo all the hurt, but we can learn from it and move forward."
Ariel held her father's gaze, her eyes pleading for him to understand how much his presence meant to her – to all of them
"Please, Dad," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the whistling wind. "Take a chance on us. Me, Charlie. Oliver."
A gust of wind whipped across the frozen lake, carrying with it a flurry of snowflakes that danced and swirled in the air. Ariel watched as her father's eyes flickered with a mix of hope and regret, the years of distance between them suddenly threatening to crack through the ice beneath their feet.
"You know, when your mom passed away, I thought I'd never find love again," he said, his voice laden with emotion. "But then I met Linda, and she... she made me believe in second chances."
He paused, his gaze drifting toward the distant shoreline where the skeletal branches of leafless trees stood sentinel against the fading light. "But when Stanton blackmailed me, threatened to expose my past and ruin everything I'd built with Linda, I panicked. I ran, leaving her behind just like I left you and your siblings."
"Is that why you're so afraid to come back?" Ariel asked gently, her breath forming small clouds in the cold air. "Because Stanton still has power over you?"
Her father hesitated before nodding, the weight of his guilt pressing down on him like an avalanche. "I can't face you all, knowing how much I've let you down. And I can't risk putting you in danger because of my mistakes."
Ariel reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her father's forearm, feeling the rough fabric of his coat beneath her fingertips. "We've all made mistakes, Dad. But we don't have to let those mistakes define us. You can choose to make amends, to be there for us now."
The longing in her voice was palpable, her words piercing through the frozen barriers that had encased her father's heart for so long. For a moment, it seemed as though he might relent, might take that leap of faith and return with her to Endless Harbor.
But then he shook his head, his shoulders slumping beneath the weight of his decision. "I'm sorry, Ariel. I just... I can't."
A wave of disappointment washed over her, but she swallowed it down, forcing herself to accept the reality that her father was not yet ready to face the life he had left behind. With a deep breath, she stepped back and offered him a sad smile.
"All right, Dad," she said, her voice wavering.
With one last look at her father's weathered face, she turned and trudged through the snow toward her car for a third time, leaving him standing alone on the frozen lake. As the distance between them grew, she couldn't help but feel a mixture of disappointment and understanding, knowing that she could not force him to come home.
She was bone-tired, the weeks of wedding prep, old friends, newly found parents, and everything else thrown at her suddenly hitting her. She and Miles had to go get their marriage license in the morning. She needed sleep—and hopefully, after today’s new disappointment, it would not be haunted by bad dreams.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ariel Hawthorne held Miles’s hand as they approached the courthouse. The historic building loomed before them, its tall columns and grand entrance a testament to the importance of the events that took place within. The cold winter air nipped at their cheeks, adding a rosy hue to their already flushed faces.
"Are you ready?" Miles asked, his quiet voice barely audible amidst the bustling crowd of people entering and exiting the courthouse.
"More than anything," Ariel replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She glanced over at him, taking in the way the wind tousled his dark hair and how his strong jawline tensed with anticipation.
Together, they ascended the steps and entered the courthouse, leaving behind the crisp winter air for the warm, hushed atmosphere inside. Sounds of muted chatter filled the space as they weaved through the crowd, hands still tightly intertwined. They shared an exhilarated smile, knowing that today marked the beginning of the rest of their lives together.
As they approached the marriage license counter, Ariel's heart swelled with emotion. The thought of finally owning her own B&B and Café with the man she loved by her side was a dream come true. It was a far cry from her days working as a VP of Product Development in Miami, but it was what she had always wanted. "We're really doing this, aren't we?" she whispered, exchanging a nervous glance with Miles.
"Absolutely," he affirmed, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. Despite his calm demeanor, Ariel could sense the lingering pain from his past. The collapse of his business, the loss of his wife – she knew that he had faced more than his fair share of hardship. Yet, here they were, ready to build a new life together.
"Hello, can I help you?" asked the clerk behind the counter, pulling the couple from their thoughts.
"Uh, yes," Miles stammered. "We're here to get hitched."
"Of course," the clerk replied, shuffling through a stack of papers. "You'll need to fill out these forms and provide your identification." She handed them the necessary paperwork and pens, watching as they began to scribble down their information.
As Ariel filled in her name, she glanced over at Miles, his brow furrowed as he concentrated on filling out the form. She knew that she wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world.
"Done," Miles announced, handing the completed paperwork and their IDs back to the clerk with a proud grin. Ariel followed suit, feeling a surge of anticipation rush through her as they took one step closer to becoming husband and wife.
"Thank you," the clerk said, scanning their documents before giving them an approving nod. "It looks like everything's in order. Congratulations on your upcoming marriage!"
