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My stomach attempts to escape through my throat as I stand. “Bri?”
She looks up. “Hmm?”
“Can I borrow you for a minute?”
Her smile turns suspicious. “What are you up to now?”
A soft laugh escapes me. “Can’t a man ask to spend a minute alone with his girlfriend without her getting suspicious?”
Everyone laughs as Bri slips her hand into mine, rolling her eyes. “We’ll be back in a minute.”
I help her into her coat before putting on my own.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
“You’ll see.”
Outside, the biting cold hits us immediately. Snow crunches beneath our boots as we make our way towards the old oak tree standing proudly at the front of the lodge. The swing bench comes into view, covered in soft blankets and cushions. Whilst lanterns and candles flicker all around it, interspersed with tiny jars of white roses, winter heather, and holly. A bottle of wine waits on the little table beside two glasses.
“Oh,” Bri breathes. “This is beautiful.”
“It seemed appropriate.” I smile. “This is where everything changed for us.”
She laughs quietly. “I remember.”
We settle onto the swing beneath a warm blanket, the gentle creak of the wood breaking the quiet. I pour us each a glass of wine and we sit in easy silence, watching the candlelight dance against the snow. After a moment, Bri rests her head on my shoulder, just as she did the first time we sat here together. It feels like we’ve somehow come full circle. It’s perfect.
“I still have days,” I admit quietly, “when I feel like an imposter.”
She reaches for my hand. “I know you think that, but it’s not true.”
I smile at her. “I know, but some days I still wonder whether I deserve any of this.”
“You do.” She smiles gently. “I know it and I’m never wrong.”
I laugh softly. “You’ve always been much better at believing in me than I have.”
“Ditto.”
Five months ago, I arrived here convinced I’d survive another convention by pretending to be someone I wasn’t. Instead, I found people who saw exactly who I was and stayed anyway. I found a family. A home. And the woman who became my favourite place in the world.
Immediately after the convention, I returned to New York to sell my apartment. I retired from acting and moved to Scotland. For us, for her.
Investing in Lennie’s business turned out to be another gift I never saw coming. Spending months up in the Highlands helping bring his vision to life, I found a new purpose too. Throwing myself into the charity work, I'm finally doing something that matters. It isn’t about being recognised anymore. It’s about making a difference.
We’ve visited London more than once to see my family. Mum cried the first time she hugged me whilst Dad pretended not to. My brothers haven’t stopped teasing me—which is their way of saying they’re glad I’m back—and my nieces and nephew have completely adopted Bri. She’s become part of the family as though she’s always belonged there. Then again, it’s not surprising considering she has the gift of making everywhere feel like home. And unbelievably… She’s chosen to make one with me.
Taking a slow breath, I reach into my coat pocket, before sliding onto one knee in the snow.
“Bri.” I laugh nervously, opening the little velvet box. The diamond shimmers in the candlelight. “I spent years thinking my life had already happened,” my voice shakes. “Then I met you. You didn’t just make me fall in love, you taught me how to live again.” Tears spill freely down her cheeks. “I don’t know what tomorrow looks like, but I know I want every tomorrow to have you in it. Brianna Wildblood… Bri,” I breathe. “Will you marry me?”
She slides off the swing, dropping onto her knees in the snow opposite me. Taking my face in both hands, she kisses me softly. “Yes.” She laughs. “Yes, yes, yes.”
I can’t stop smiling as I slide the ring onto her finger. It fits perfectly. “I love you and I’ll never stop choosing you.”
“I love you too and I’ll never stop choosing you either.”
Some people might say we’ve moved too fast, that five months is too soon. I’d say life is simply too short to waste time pretending you haven’t found the person who makes your soul feel at home.
