Chapter 68 CLOSURE
Alex
Alex’s hand tightened on the door. “We have nothing to say to you.”
“I know. But please. Five minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”
Elias appeared behind Alex. “Why are you here?”
“To apologize, in person, for the lawsuit, for everything.”
“Your apology is too late.”
“I know. But I needed to say it anyway.”
They stood in tense silence. Robert Mitchell looked smaller than expected. Tired. Older than he probably was.
“Let him in,” Alex said quietly.
“Alex.”
“Five minutes. Then he leaves.”
They sat in the living room. Robert is on the couch. Alex and Elias are in chairs opposite. Creating distance.
“I’m sorry,” Robert said immediately. “For the lawsuit. For blaming you. For making your lives harder when you were just defending yourselves.”
“Why did you do it?” Elias asked. “You had to know we didn’t cause Carter’s attempt.”
“I wanted someone to blame. My son was broken and I needed it to be someone’s fault. Easier than admitting we failed him as parents.”
“You did fail him,” Alex said. His voice sharp. “He was struggling and you sued us instead of getting him help.”
“You’re right, we were angry, desperate. We made terrible choices.”
“Choices that almost destroyed us.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. Truly sorry.”
Elias leaned forward. “What do you want from us? Forgiveness? Permission to feel better?”
“Nothing. I don’t expect forgiveness. I just wanted you to know that Carter told us the truth. That you didn’t drive him to anything. That he was sick and we ignored it.”
“Where is he now?” Alex asked.
“Still in Seattle. Still in treatment. He’s doing better. Really better this time. He asked me to tell you he’s sorry too. For everything.”
“We got his email.”
“That was brave of him. Going against us. Telling his lawyer the truth. It’s the first healthy thing he’s done in years.”
“Good for him,” Elias said. Flat. Empty.
Robert stood up. “I’ve taken enough of your time. I just needed to say it. Face to face. You deserved better from us. From Carter. From all of it.”
“Yeah. We did.”
At the door, Robert paused. “For what it’s worth, I hope you’re happy. Carter said you got engaged. Congratulations.”
“How did he know that?” Alex asked.
“He still follows you online. From a distance. Not obsessively. Just checking in sometimes. Making sure you’re okay.”
Alex’s skin crawled. “Tell him to stop. We’re not his responsibility.”
“I will. I’m sorry.”
After Robert left, Alex locked the door. Leaned against it.
“That was weird,” he said.
“That was closure.”
“Is it? Closure? Because I still feel angry.”
“Me too. But at least now we know. They acknowledged what they did was wrong.”
“Does that make it better?”
“A little. Maybe.”
Alex looked at his ring. The engagement ring from last night. Already feeling heavy.
“Are we making a mistake?” he asked.
“What?”
“Getting married. We’re young. We’ve been through hell. What if we’re just trauma bonding?”
Elias crossed to him. Took his face in both hands. “Look at me. We are not trauma bonding. We’re two people who fell in love and fought to stay that way. That’s different.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know you. I know us. And trauma ends. Love doesn’t.”
“You sound very sure.”
“I am sure. Are you not?”
Alex thought about it. Really thought. “I’m sure about loving you. I’m just scared of everything else.”
“Then be scared. We’ll be scared together. But we’re still getting married.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah. Let’s get married, despite everything”.
They spent the rest of the day planning, nothing concrete. Just dreaming out loud about weddings and futures and forever.
“Small ceremony,” Alex said. “Just family and close friends.”
“Where?”
“Here. Campus maybe. Or the rose arch.”
“The rose arch is perfect.”
“When?”
“Next summer. After you finish your coursework. Before your dissertation starts.”
“That’s less than a year.”
“Is that too soon?”
“No. It’s perfect.”
They told Des and Sana over dinner. Both screamed. Both demanded to be in the wedding party.
“Obviously,” Elias said. “You’re both essential.”
“Can I plan the bachelor party?” Des asked.
“Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“Because I know you. It’ll be embarrassing.”
“That’s the point of bachelor parties.”
November brought Thanksgiving. Elias’s family plus Alex. Everyone is celebrating the engagement.
James called from Boston. Still recovering but doing well. “Congratulations, little brother.”
“Thanks. How are you feeling?”
“Better. Ready to come visit for the wedding.”
“You’re invited. Obviously.”
“I’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss it.”
After dinner, Katie pulled Alex aside. “I’m proud of you.”
“For what?”
“For surviving. For fighting for him. For building this life.”
“I didn’t do it alone.”
“I know. But you could have given up. You didn’t. That takes strength.”
December came fast. Final papers. Alex is buried in work. Elias is busy with year-end deadlines.
But they made time. Date nights. Quiet mornings. Small moments of just being together.
“I like this,” Alex said one night. “The boring parts. Just living.”
“Me too. It’s nice. Normal.”
“We’ve earned normal.”
“We really have.”
Christmas brought another trip to Elias’s parents. Everyone is fussing over wedding plans. Dates and venues and guest lists.
“Have you thought about vows?” his mother asked.
“Not yet,” Elias said.
“Traditional or personal?”
“Personal probably. We’ve never been traditional.”
Alex smiled. “That’s an understatement.”
New Year’s Eve, they stayed home. Just them. Champagne and takeout and bad TV.
At midnight, Elias kissed him. “New year. New chapter.”
“Last year before we got married.”
“Scared?”
“Terrified. You?”
“Same. But good terrified.”
“Is there a good terrified?”
“Yeah. The kind that means something matters. That it’s real.”
January brought thesis work. Alex dove deep into research. Elias supported from the sidelines. Reading drafts, making coffee, being present.
“You’re doing great,” Elias said.
“I’m drowning.”
“You’re surviving. That’s different.”
“Barely.”
“Barely is still succeeding.”
February fourteenth arrived. Three years since the first letter. Three years since everything started.
They went to the café. Sat in their usual spot.
“Three years,” Alex said.
“Feels like longer. And shorter. Both at once.”
“Do you remember what you thought? When you got that first letter?”
“I thought someone was messing with me. That it was a joke.”
“And now?”
“Now I know it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Even with everything after?”
“Especially with everything after. Because it proved we were worth fighting for.”
That night, Elias gave Alex another letter. Handwritten. Just like three years ago.
Dear Alex,
Three years ago, you sent me a letter that changed everything. You gave me hope when I felt lost. Love when I felt unlovable. A future when I thought I had none.
In six months, we’re getting married. Starting forever. Building a life.
I can’t wait.
I love you. More than words. More than letters. More than anything.
Yours always,
Elias
Alex’s eyes were wet. “You’re going to make me cry at our wedding, aren’t you?”
“Probably.”
“Good. I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
March brought venue booking. They chose the rose arch. The place where everything became real.
“It’s perfect,” the coordinator said. “Intimate. Romantic. Beautiful.”
“It’s us,” Alex said.
April brought invitation design. Simple. Elegant. Just their names and a date.
Alex Lee and Elias Reed
invite you to celebrate their marriage
August 15th
“It’s real now,” Alex said, holding the proof. “We’re really doing this.”
“Having second thoughts?”
“No. Just processing. This time next year, we’ll be married.”
“How does that feel?”
“Perfect. Scary. Right.”
May brought finals again. Alex’s coursework is ending. Dissertation proposal approved. Everything is falling into place.
“You’re almost done,” Elias said.
“With coursework. Dissertation is another two years.”
“But you’re on track. That’s what matters.”
Summer started slowly. Wedding planning ramped up. Flowers and music and catering. All the details that made it real.
“I’m nervous,” Alex admitted one night.
“About the wedding?”
“About everything. What if something goes wrong? What if we’re jinxing ourselves by being happy?”
“Then something goes wrong and we handle it. But Alex, we deserve this. We’ve earned happiness.”
“Have we?”
“Yes. We really have.”
But two weeks before the wedding, Alex’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He almost didn’t answer.
But something made him.
“Hello?”
“Alex? It’s Carter. Please don’t hang up. I need to tell you something. About the wedding. About Elias. About something you need to know before you get married.“