“I’ve met someone,” Sorcha said, the words tumbling out. “He’s incredible, Mom. Kind and strong and…” She swallowed hard. “He wants me to stay here. In Bear Creek.”
There was a long pause before her mother spoke. “And you’re afraid of ending up like me.”
The blunt assessment took Sorcha by surprise. “I…yes,” she admitted. “I know how miserable you were. How trapped you felt.”
Her mother sighed, the sound heavy with regret. “Oh, Sorcha. I’m so sorry…”
“What do you mean?”
“I blamed your father and the town for my unhappiness,” her mother whispered. “It was easier than admitting the truth…that I trapped myself. I chose to be bitter. I chose to focus on what I’d given up instead of what I’d gained.”
Sorcha sat up straighter, stunned by this confession. “But you always said…”
“I know what I said,” her mother interrupted gently. “And I was wrong. Your father would have moved if I’d asked. He offered many times. But I was scared. Scared that if we left, that would be an even bigger mistake. So, I stayed and made us all miserable with my resentment.”
Tears slid down Sorcha’s cheeks as she absorbed these words. “Why are you telling me this now?”
“Because I don’t want you to make the same mistake I did,” her mother replied. “Not the mistake of settling down—the mistake of blaming others for choices I made myself. The mistake of not being honest about what I truly wanted.”
“But how do I know what I truly want?” Sorcha asked, feeling like a child again, seeking guidance.
“That’s something only you can answer,” her mother said. “But Sorcha, ask yourself this: when you picture your perfect life five years from now, who’s in it? What does it look like?”
Sorcha closed her eyes, and the answer was suddenly clear. It looked like Christopher Stiller.
Chapter Nineteen – Christopher
Christopher stood frozen in the clearing, watching Sorcha disappear between the trees. The sound of her footsteps faded, leaving him alone with the weight of his revelation crushing down on him.
“She ran,” he whispered into the night air. “She actually ran.”
His bear growled with anguish inside him, urging him to follow her, to explain more, to make her understand. Christopher closed his eyes and fought against the instinct with everything he had.
No,he said, his voice firm despite the tremor running through him.She needs space.
But what if she leaves?his bear demanded.What if she packs her car tonight and drives away forever?
The thought sent a stab of panic through Christopher’s chest so sharp he had to brace himself against a tree. He’d known showing Sorcha his true nature was a risk, but he’d convinced himself she was ready. That their connection was strong enough to withstand the shock.
He pushed himself upright and began walking back toward the office, his steps heavy with dread.
She won’t leave,he told his bear, trying to sound more confident than he felt.Not without saying goodbye at least.
You don’t know that,his bear countered.She was terrified. You saw her face.
Christopher winced at the memory. The flash of fear in Sorcha’s eyes had cut deeper than any wound he’d ever experienced.
She wasn’t afraid of us,he argued as he trudged through the snow.She was afraid of what it meant.
And what does it mean?his bear pressed.That she must choose between her life and ours?
That was the crux of it. Christopher had offered to follow her, to leave Bear Creek behind, but would that truly work? Could he thrive away from the mountains, the forest, everything that had given him a new life, a new sense of purpose? And if he couldn’t, how long before resentment poisoned what they had?
He reached the office and slipped inside; the warmth did nothing to thaw the icy dread in his gut. He went to the coffee machine and went through the motions of making a fresh pot.
She might be packing right now, his bear fretted as Christopher fetched a clean mug and set it down on the counter.
“Stop,” Christopher muttered under his breath. “Give her time to process.”
