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I feel him nod against my shoulder, slapping me on the back. “I know, Nash. I know.”
We stay like that for a long time, and as I hug my brother, I feel ten years younger. Like we were never apart at all. I can hear Ava sniffling from the couch, crying softly as she watches our reunion, and my heart soars to know that the people I love most in the world are both under the same roof.
Both with me.
“I love you, buddy,” I tell Lincoln, my throat clogged with emotion.
He nods again. “I know. I love you too.”
My best friend.
My brother.
He’s finally home.
Epilogue
Ava
I push open the door to my husband’s home office, smiling at the sight of him. He’s hunched over a stack of papers, muttering to himself, but he swivels around when he hears me come in, his eyes lighting up. Dinah is curled up on his lap fast asleep.
“Hey, baby,” he says. “Give me two minutes, then we’ll get going.”
“Sounds good.”
It’s New Year’s Eve, but that won’t stop Nash from squeezing in some work. He’s been pouring his heart into the Marion Retreat since he first had the idea, and now that it’s finally up and running, he is dedicated to making it a success. He manages the retreat’s finances, using his old skills for good. Everything can be managed from his home office, and if he’s ever needed at the retreat, we’re only a two-minute walk away through the trees. It’s the perfect set-up.
The Marion Retreat has breathed so much life into what used to be a lonely mansion. People travel from all over Crave County for rest and support after cancer treatment. There’s a spa, a fitness center, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, saunas, comfortable bedrooms, a dining hall serving delicious food, a library, therapy rooms, meditation gardens, and a whole host of opportunities for mountain adventures and outdoor activities. There is something for everyone at the Marion Retreat. I work there a couple of days a week, helping to oversee everything, and I finally feel like I’m doing something that truly matters. I’m just as passionate about the retreat as Nash, and I love getting to be a part of it.
They say that it’s always darkest before the dawn, and in my life, that has proven to be true. I met Nash after the crappiest year of my life, and since then, things only get better and better every day. I have an incredible husband and a beautiful home in Crave County surrounded by mountains and forests. I love my job, and I have plenty of free time to spend watching my beloved romcoms. Dinah adores it here too, and she never gets tired of the warm fireplace. We have awesome neighbors, especially Ella and Cade, who I’ve gotten to know well over the past year. But our best neighbor by far is Lincoln.
Nash and his brother have completely reconciled since Linc showed up on the doorstep that night. They talked for hours and Nash finally got to say everything that had been torturing him for so long. Lincoln forgave him. My brother-in-law is a grump with a heart of gold, just like my husband, and he now lives in a cabin just a short way up the mountain from us. Lincoln is so proud of Nash for his work setting up the Marion Retreat, and they get to see each other all the time now. After all their years apart, they’re closer than ever.
“All done,” Nash says, lifting Dinah into his arms and standing up. “I swear this cat never stops sleeping.”
I chuckle. “She needs her rest. She has a very stressful life, sleeping and pooping and eating cat treats.”
“Sounds so hard. Poor Dinah.”
I take her from Nash, carrying her over to the rug in front of the fireplace—her favorite spot. Once she’s settled, I grab Nash’s hand and we head out of the front door toward the truck. I told him I wanted us to go and grab some cake from the bakery, but that’s not the real reason I want us to go to Winterdale. I’ve got a secret, a surprise for the new year, and Winterdale is the perfect place for me to tell Nash all about it.
“Do you want to go to Sweet Tooth Bakery?” Nash asks as we drive into the town, past stores still covered in Christmas lights. “I can get you a red velvet cake if you want.”
“Sure. Can we go for a little walk first, though? It looks so pretty here with the snow and the lights.”
“Of course, baby.”
We park and Nash opens my door for me, wrapping his arm around me as we walk across the market square, our shoes crunching against the snow. I guide Nash to the wishing tree, which is bare in preparation for the New Year’s Party tonight. This place is special to us. It’s where we first wished for each other—and our wishes came true. It’s where Nash proposed. I still remember the way his eyes shone with emotion as he lowered himself to the ground, the ring sparkling in his giant hand. I said yes, obviously, shrieking like a crazy person as Nash picked me up and twirled me around like I was starring in my very own romcom. To us, it’s more than just a tree. It’s special. And I can’t think of anywhere better to tell Nash my news.
“I love coming here,” he says as we slow down in front of the towering fir. “It reminds me of when you told me you would be my wife. I’d never been so fucking happy.”
“Me neither.” I beam up at him, rising on my tiptoes to kiss him, savoring his familiar taste. “I have a confession to make.”
Nash cocks his head. “A confession?”
I nod, suddenly nervous. “Yes. A confession, or more like news, a surprise I guess you could say, and I just figured since this place is so…so special to us, this might be the right place to do it, and so I know I said I wanted cake, and honestly I kind of do want cake, I mean who doesn’t want cake, but that’s not really why I wanted to come here if you see what I mean, so yeah, I have a…a confession. A…a news. Not, not a news, a…a new? No, that doesn’t make sense, a piece of news? I don’t know how to…how to make it not plural, but—”
“Ava,” Nash cuts in. “Honey.”
