"We're going to be okay," I said. "Both of us."
Matt nodded, then he pulled me into one last hug. Brief and tight and final.
"Thank you," he said. "For stopping me. For saying all of it."
"Thank you for the truth."
We stepped back from each other. He looked at me for a long moment, like he was memorizing my face. Then he got back in his truck.
I stood there while he started the engine, while the headlights came back on. He lifted one hand in a wave that felt like goodbye. Not see you later, just goodbye.
I waved back.
Then he pulled out of the driveway and drove away into the rain. I watched until his taillights disappeared, until there was nothing left but wet gravel and the sound of water running through the gutters.
When I turned back toward the house, Caleb was standing on the porch. Still holding the umbrella, waiting. I walked to him through the rain.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah." I stepped under the umbrella and into his arms. "I am now."
He held me close, solid and warm. His hand came up to cup the back of my head and I pressed my face against his chest, feeling his heartbeat steady beneath my cheek.
"Thank you," I said. "Thank you for this."
"Always." He kissed the top of my head. "You needed that."
"I did."
We stood there for a moment, rain falling around us, his arms keeping me safe.
"Come on," he said finally. "Let's get you dry."
He guided me inside. Dad had already disappeared upstairs, giving us space. The living room was warm from the fire, both dogs curled up together on the rug.
Caleb handed me a towel and I dried my face, my hair, trying to wring some of the water from my clothes. When I looked up, he was watching me with something soft in his eyes.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing." He came closer, tucked a wet strand of hair behind my ear. "Just glad you're here."
"Me too."
He kissed me then. Slow and gentle and certain. And I kissed him back, tasting rain and promise and something like hope. When we broke apart, I let my nose brush his, breath mingling in the inches between us.
"I love you," I said.
His breath caught. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." I smiled. "I'm in love with you, Caleb Wright."
He pulled me closer, his arms wrapping around me like he'd never let go. "I love you too."
Outside, the rain kept falling. But inside, by the fire, with his arms around me and the dogs sleeping at our feet, everything felt exactly right.
The past was behind us now. All of it. The grief, the guilt, the ghost of what could've been.
This was what mattered. This moment. This man. This life I was choosing.
