“Your ass.” He trailed his hand down and squeezed firmly.
“You’re mine, Char. You’ll be the reason I walk this earth and the reason I close my eyes at night. My partner, my wife, my last, my only.” His lips found mine, and we kissed slowly as I melted into his warmth.
He lifted me and carried me into the shower. Warm water poured over us, washing away the night, but the emotions clung.
Life wasn’t neat; it was chaos, heartbreak, and filled with the people who stayed anyway.
Running had always felt easier, but it never fixed anything. Real strength was staying, facing what came, and letting those who loved you help carry it.
I looked at Austin—the man who’d shown me how to stay. His eyes met mine, and his soft, reverent touch grounded me in a way I never thought possible.
What we had wasn’t fake. It never had been. Not for me. It wasn’t just a marriage of convenience or a plan for health insurance. It was real and alive, growing in ways I hadn’t realized until this moment.
As his lips brushed against my forehead, lingering for just a moment, I knew it wasn’t fake for him either. It never had been.
My gaze drifted down his shoulder, to the ink curling along his side—the one I’d noticed before but never asked about in detail. “The tattoo, it was meant for Nova?”
“Yeah, but I got it covered up. One of my therapists gave me this spiral pendant in rehab. He told me it represented new beginnings, so I copied the design on my body. I wanted something that felt like moving forward, not looking back.”
“New beginnings,” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper as I buried my head into the crook of his neck.
Our story may have begun out of necessity, but it was built on a foundation of friendship, each moment adding another layer to something we didn’t even realize we were creating. It wasn’t a path others might have taken, but it was ours—the long, winding road that led us here.
Our family wouldn’t ever be typical, but it didn’t have to be. It was surrounded by love, shaped by choices, struggles, and quiet victories. Our story mattered. It was achingly beautiful. And important. And ours.
49
austin
Six Months Later
“Dad.” Scarlette’s voice carried from upstairs, where she and Charlie had been scheming something together.
My heart swelled hearing her call me that—it still felt surreal every time.
Scarlette was getting ready to leave for a couple of weeks to visit Ollie’s extended family in London since school was out for summer break. We’d been finding our rhythm. Most weeks, I got to see her for a few days, and she’d spend some weekends with us. There wasn’t a formal custody arrangement, but Nova and I were co-parenting better than I ever thought possible. I wanted to respect her choices, and for Scarlette’s sake, we kept things easy.
Sometimes Scarlette would tag along with me to work. Since I’d gotten hired full-time as one of the coordinators for Ledger’s after-school program, she loved learning to skate with the other kids or just watching the lessons. Seeing her so at ease in my world made me feel like I was finally doing something right.
I finally had health insurance. The thought still made me chuckle as I ran my hands through my longer hair.
Charlie had just started her summer break, and she’d been spending her mornings planning little adventures for us and Scarlette before her trip, her excitement infectious. Every day with her felt like a reminder of how far we’d come and how much further we had to go—together.
“Are you ready?” Scarlette called from the top of the stairs.
I laughed, settling into the couch in the front room. “Ready as can be,” I shouted back.
“Close your eyes.” Charlie’s voice followed.
I did as I was told and waited patiently for them to come bounding down the stairs.
“Stand up, and keep your eyes closed.”
I pushed myself up, standing still, my hands resting at my sides. The anticipation was killing me, but I could hear their muffled giggles, and I couldn’t stop my smile.
“Open your eyes,” Charlie said softly, and Scarlette giggled beside her.
I opened them, furrowing my brows as I took in the two of them standing there. Scarlette eagerly pointed to her shirt, her excitement contagious.
