Epilogue

Epilogue
When I woke up the next day, sunlight had already spilled through the curtains, golden and soft, and Noah was half-asleep on my side of the bed, snoring quietly with his arm thrown over my waist. His hair was a wild mess. His mouth hung open as he drooled on the pillow.

I brushed his hair back and whispered, “Five more minutes, okay?”

He mumbled something about pancakes and rolled over.

From the kitchen, I could hear Declan singing off key. When I got up and padded barefoot into the kitchen, he was already there, his sleeves rolled up, trying to flip a crepe.

And sure enough, it hit the counter instead of the plate.

“Good morning,” I said, leaning against the doorframe.

He turned, spatula in hand, sheepish grin on his face. “Good morning, Mrs. Ashwell.”

The word made me blush, even now. “You’ve been married to me for a grand total of five hours. Don’t get cocky.”

“Five glorious hours,” he corrected, eyes sparkling. “And look at me, making breakfast for my wife and kid. Domestic perfection.”

I laughed, crossing my arms. “You just flung a crepe onto the wall.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “Creative plating.”

I walked up behind him, slipping my arms around his waist, resting my chin against his shoulder. “You’re an idiot.”

He turned his head slightly, kissed the tip of my nose. “You love everything about me.”

“I tolerate many things,” I teased.

He smiled and went back to pretending he knew what he was doing. The smell of burnt batter filled the room.

Behind us, little footsteps padded down the hall. “It smells funny,” Noah announced, rubbing his eyes.

“It smells like breakfast,” Declan said quickly.

Noah climbed onto a chair at the table, eyeing the questionable pile of crepes. “Are those supposed to look like that?”

I laughed. “Nothing some whipped cream can’t fix.”

Noah nodded. “Dad, do we have Nutella here?”

Declan froze, spatula halfway in the air. He looked over his shoulder, eyes wide.

Noah frowned, confused. “I mean, Declan.”

Declan smiled gently. “No. You were right the first time, bud. Let me get that Nutella.”

Noah grinned, excited at the thought of Nutella, not knowing he had casually made Declan’s day. “Okay, Dad.”

Declan had to turn away for a second, pretending to adjust something on the counter. His hand shook just a little.

I reached out, brushed my fingers along his arm. He leaned back into the touch for just a heartbeat, a quiet acknowledgment that said everything he couldn’t.

After breakfast, the three of us walked down to the dock. The day was bright and warm.

“Are we doing that thing again?” Noah asked, skipping ahead. “Where we throw rocks and see who gets the most skips?”

“Obviously,” Declan said. “I need revenge after last time.”

“You cheated!” Noah protested. “You picked flat rocks!”

“That’s called strategy,” Declan said.

I sat on the edge of the dock, shoes off, dipping my feet into the cool water, watching them.

Declan crouched beside Noah, showing him how to flick his wrist just right. Their laughter echoed across the lake, easy and unrestrained.

How strange, I thought, that the same man who once made me feel reckless and terrified now made me feel steady, safe.

He’d changed. We both had. But the way he looked at me from across the water, that hadn’t.

He caught me staring and winked.

I rolled my eyes and called, “Focus, babe! You’re losing!”

“I’m teaching!” he shot back, laughing. “There’s a difference!”

Noah whooped as his rock skipped five times, then immediately jumped around at his victory. “See? I’m better than you!”

Declan threw up his hands in defeat. “Clearly, I’ve been dethroned.”

Noah puffed out his chest. “That’s what happens when you get old.”

I snorted, clapping a hand over my mouth.

Declan turned slowly. “Old?”

Noah nodded solemnly. “You have gray hair. Mommy said it means you’re old.”

Declan looked at me, his eyes narrowing. “You said that?”

I was laughing too hard to answer. “You do have a few, if we’re being honest.”

He stepped forward, mock glaring, water dripping from his fingers as he reached down. “Careful, Mrs. Ashwell. I might push you in.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

He did.

When I surfaced, sputtering and half laughing, Declan and Noah were both doubled over on the dock, laughing so hard they could barely breathe.

Noah was rolling on the planks beside him, kicking his feet. “She looks like a wet cat!”

“You’re both evil!” I yelled, splashing them.

Declan jumped in after me, fully clothed, still laughing.

The splash soaked Noah, who screamed dramatically. “My clothes!”

“You’re next,” Declan said, climbing out, and before Noah could run, he scooped him up and jumped in with him.

The three of us surfaced, gasping and shouting and laughing like kids.

And when Declan pulled me close, slick hair plastered to his forehead, Noah between us clinging to our shoulders, I realized I finally had everything I had ever dreamt of.

Later that evening, after Noah had fallen asleep, I sat on the porch, wrapped in a blanket. Declan came out and set two mugs down with some tea for me, and coffee for him.

He sat beside me, quiet for a while. Then he said softly, “You remember what you told me here once?”

“Which part?” I smiled. “We’ve had a lot of things happen at this lake.”

He looked out over the water. “You said you were terrified of this not working.”

I swallowed. “I was.”

“And now?”

I leaned my head on his shoulder. “Now I think it was always supposed to.”

He smiled, pressed a kiss to my hair. “We did it, Willow.”

I laughed softly. “We really did.”

Declan reached for me as I came closer, our fingers brushing, a quiet reminder that somehow, through everything, we had made it.

“You never told me,” I said, “You wrote me a poem once, when we were first together. You never read it to me.” 

He shook his head. “It was a long time ago.”

“Come on,” I urged, “I know you have it.” 

He sighed, but he was already pulling his phone out and scrolling down the notes app. He looked at me, and began to read - 

“Your skin, your mouth, that very first night; 

My little dove, I wish to keep you in my pocket.

I tried to stay steady,

tried to pretend you were just a passing thing 

a moment, not a map.

but every road i took led back to you.

i learned your laugh before your name,

memorized your voice before your face,

and somewhere between all that knowing,

i stopped belonging anywhere else.

you are too much light for someone who lived in the dark,

and yet i never want to see shade again.

If you are going to ruin me, so be it,

You have me in your hands. 

You are my end and my beginning.”