"Lulu, she'd be thrilled. She never wanted you to spend your life maintaining what she built. She wanted you to build something of your own."
"I wish I'd understood that earlier. I wasted five years—"
"You didn't waste anything. You honored her legacy for five years. You kept her dream alive. And now you're ready to dream your own dreams. That's growth, not waste."
Lucy hugged her uncle. "Thank you. For everything. For supporting me when I went to Paris. For supporting me when I came back. For never making me feel like I had to choose between your expectations and my own wants."
"That's what family does. We support each other's choices, even when we don't understand them."
After dinner, Lucy drove to Jake's apartment. He was making pasta—something simple but good, the kind of food that felt like care.
"How was your day?" Jake asked, stirring sauce.
"Good. Productive. The contractor says we can start renovations next week. The permits finally came through."
"That's great! You must be relieved."
"I am. Also terrified. This is really happening. I'm really opening a restaurant."
"You're going to be incredible at it."
They ate at Jake's small table, and Lucy felt the familiar warmth of domestic comfort. This is what she'd missed in Paris—not grand gestures or exciting adventures, but this. Quiet evenings with someone who cared. Simple meals and easier conversations.
"Can I ask you something?" Jake said after dinner.
"Always."
"Are you happy? Really happy? Not just going through the motions because you think you should be here?"
Lucy set down her wine glass. "Where is this coming from?"
"I just—I need to make sure. That you're here because you want to be, not because you felt guilty about leaving."
"Jake, I promise. I'm happy. Some days are hard, and I miss aspects of Paris—my friends there, the food culture, the beauty of it. But I don't regret coming home. Not for a second."
"Okay. I needed to hear that."
"Are you having doubts? About us?"
"No. Not doubts. Just—checking in. Making sure we're both still all in."
"I'm all in. Jake, I know I have to keep proving that. Keep showing you I'm not going to leave. And I will. For as long as it takes."
Jake pulled her close. "I believe you. I do. But Lucy—I think part of me is still scared. Still waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"That's fair. I broke your trust. It's going to take time to rebuild it fully."
"How much time?"
"I don't know. As much time as you need. I'm not going anywhere."
They held each other in Jake's small kitchen, and Lucy felt the weight of her past choices. She'd hurt him. Really hurt him. And even though he'd forgiven her, the scar was still there.
All she could do was keep showing up. Keep choosing him. Keep proving that this time, she was staying.
Late November brought the first real cold snap and the Wolves' best start in franchise history.
They were 12-4, leading their division, playing with a confidence Jake had never seen before. Owen was thriving. Marcus was playing like he was ten years younger. The team believed in themselves.
