Chapter 161: Paige

Chapter 161: Paige
2 years later

The scent of freshly brewed coffee lingers in the air, warm and rich, mixing with the faint sweetness of cinnamon and vanilla from the pastries displayed in the glass case. The soft hum of conversation drifts through the café, punctuated by the occasional clink of ceramic cups against saucers and the distant sound of ocean waves rolling against the shore. It’s peaceful. Familiar. Home.

And then, there’s Everleigh.

She’s a tiny blur of golden curls and relentless energy, toddling between tables with an air of confidence that only a two-year-old could pull off. She stops every now and then, greeting regulars like they’re old friends, babbling in a mix of English and Portuguese—some words crystal clear, others nothing more than her own little language.

“Bom dia, senhor Joaquim,” she chirps at one of our regulars, an elderly man who’s been coming here every morning since we opened.

He chuckles, ruffling her curls as she climbs onto the empty chair beside him like she owns the place. “Bom dia, minha querida. Onde está sua mamãe?”

Everleigh turns, eyes scanning the café until she spots me behind the counter, pouring a fresh cup of coffee. She points proudly.

“There!”

I roll my eyes playfully as Joaquim laughs. “And your daddy?” he teases.

Everleigh giggles and whips around in her seat, scanning the café again before dramatically throwing her arms out toward Jaxon. He’s standing near the back, wiping down tables, his dark grey t-shirt clinging to his back from the warmth of the midday sun streaming through the windows.

“DADDY!” she calls, as if he’s miles away instead of a few feet.

Jaxon glances up from his work, his sharp grey eyes instantly softening when they land on her. A slow smirk tugs at his lips as he rests a hand on his hip, playfully raising a brow. “What, princess?” That's another thing. I officially lost my princess title to her but, you know what? I don't mind.

She grins, kicking her little legs against the chair. “Hi.”

His smirk grows. “Hi.”

Everleigh bursts into giggles like it’s the funniest thing in the world, and God, I could live in this moment forever.

I shake my head, handing a to-go cup to the woman waiting at the counter. She smiles, her eyes flicking between Everleigh and Jaxon before settling on me. “She’s absolutely adorable.”

“She’s a menace,” I joke, but the love in my voice is undeniable.

The woman laughs, collecting her change before heading toward the door, and I glance at the clock. Almost two.

Jaxon finishes wiping the last table, and I step out from behind the counter, untying my apron. He meets me at the front just as Everleigh climbs down from Joaquim’s chair and scurries toward us, her little arms raised expectantly. Jaxon doesn’t hesitate—he never does—scooping her up and pressing a quick kiss to her temple before shifting her onto his hip.

“You ready, princess?” he murmurs, brushing a stray curl from her face.

Everleigh nods excitedly. “Flowers!”

Jaxon chuckles, glancing at me. “You?”

I smile, slipping my hand into his. “Always.”

The drive to the countryside takes just under an hour, winding roads leading us away from the coastal town and deeper into rolling green fields dotted with wildflowers. The sky is a perfect, endless blue, the kind that makes everything feel lighter, like the world isn’t weighed down by anything at all.

Everleigh is pressed against the window, eyes wide with pure wonder, pointing at every cow, every horse, every tree she deems interesting.

“Look! Moooooo,” she exclaims, imitating a cow’s call as we pass a small pasture.

Jaxon chuckles from the driver’s seat, shaking his head. “That’s the fifth cow, Ever. You sure you’re not part cow?”

Everleigh gasps, twisting to look at him, scandalized. “NO.”

I laugh, reaching back to tickle her knee. “Are you sure? You make the best cow sounds.”

She giggles, swatting my hand away before turning back to the window, as if determined to prove she is, in fact, not part cow.

Jaxon glances at me, smirking. “I love her.”

I squeeze his hand. “Me too.”

When we finally arrive at the flower field, the sight takes my breath away.

It’s like something out of a dream.

Endless stretches of wildflowers spread out before us, swaying gently in the breeze. Poppies, daisies, lavender, and bright yellow sunflowers taller than Everleigh all blend together in a sea of color, the scent thick and sweet in the warm afternoon air. In the distance, past the fields, there’s a small stable with horses grazing, tails flicking lazily against their flanks.

Everleigh practically vibrates with excitement.

“Mommy, Daddy, LOOK!” she gasps, wriggling out of her car seat the second Jaxon opens the door. “So many!”

I laugh as Jaxon sets her on her feet, and she takes off into the flowers, arms stretched wide, like she’s trying to hug the whole world.

Jaxon watches her go, his lips quirking. “Think she’s happy?”

I bump my shoulder against his. “Just a little.”

For the next hour, we pick flowers together, Everleigh insisting on collecting more than her little hands can hold. She hands me a sunflower, then a daisy, then a poppy, her tiny fingers plucking petals only to gasp in horror when she realizes they fall apart.

Jaxon snorts. “Gotta be gentle, princess.”

Everleigh frowns at the flower, like it betrayed her. “No breaking.”

I crouch beside her, kissing her forehead. “It’s okay, baby. We’ll find more.”

She nods, determined, and continues her mission.

The horseback riding starts slow.

Everleigh has been obsessed with horses ever since she saw one up close last year, but riding one? That’s a whole different thing.

Jaxon holds her in his arms as he approaches the gentlest horse in the stable, a chestnut mare named Amora. Everleigh stares at the horse with wide eyes, clutching Jaxon’s shirt in tiny fists.

“She’s big,” she whispers.

Jaxon chuckles. “Yeah, but she’s nice. Wanna pet her?”

Everleigh hesitates before slowly, carefully, reaching out.

Her small hand brushes against Amora’s muzzle, and just like that, her fear is gone.

She giggles, petting the horse with newfound confidence. “Soft.”

Jaxon grins, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Told you.”

With the help of the stable owner, we get her settled onto the saddle, Jaxon standing right beside her, keeping his hands on her waist.

“You okay, princess?” he murmurs.

Everleigh nods. “I like it.”

“Yeah?”

She beams. “Yeah.”

Jaxon glances at me, and God, the love in his eyes is overwhelming.

I reach for his hand, squeezing it.

This life—the flowers, the horses, the sun setting in a sky full of soft pinks and golds, the sound of Everleigh’s laughter echoing like music in the open air—it’s perfect.

And as I look at the man I love, holding the daughter we created, I realize something.

We were never running away.

We were always running toward this.
Toward each other.

Toward forever.