The male swan drifts closer to shore, its long neck curving elegantly as it studies us.
Evan inches forward, eyes glowing with fascination.
“Can I feed them sometime?”
J.T.nods.
“Sure.We’ll bring some cracked corn down.They love it.”
Evan beams.
“Really?”
“Yep.”
Evan looks up at him like J.T.just handed him the keys to the kingdom.
“Awesome!”
J.T.ruffles the boy’s hair lightly.
And Evan doesn’t pull away.
The moment is small.So small it would be easy to miss.But it hits me straight in the chest.
The fading light reflects across the pond, painting the water silver and gold while the swans drift quietly through it.
Evan starts peppering J.T.with questions again—about the barn, the goats, whether he can help collect eggs from the chickens.
J.T.answers each one patiently, his deep voice calm and steady beside us.
And as I stand there watching them—my son and the man I’m about to marry—I feel something inside me settle.
For the first time in a long while home doesn’t feel fragile anymore.
It feels whole.
Chapter24
J.T
Friday finally rolls around, and the house has been a damn construction zone all day.
Maddox, me, and a couple guys from the company have been hauling furniture since sunup.
Beds, dressers, boxes, that old oak desk Kelly insisted on keeping because Thatcher built it years ago.
I don’t mind.
Hell, I like it.
Feels right.
Feels like building something that actually matters instead of another luxury subdivision for people who’ll never learn their neighbor’s name.
Kelly’s in Evan’s new bedroom putting the last coat of paint on before we move his furniture in.
The kid asked if he could paint the room army green.
