When I entered her, it was with the same sense of homecoming I’d felt the first
time. Her legs wrapped around me, holding me close as we moved together in the familiar rhythm we’d perfected over our years together.
“I love you,” she gasped against my ear as she came apart in my arms. “I’ve always loved you,” I answered truthfully, following her over the edge. Later, as she drifted toward sleep in my arms, I thought about how far we’d come. From childhood friends to strangers to lovers to family. The journey hadn’t been straightforward, but I wouldn’t change a single step.
Jake still sent gifts every year—expensive, meaningless tokens that I discarded
without comment. He’d never understood what Autumn truly needed wasn’t
things, but belief. Faith in her talent, her worth, her dreams.
I pressed a kiss to her temple, smiling as she snuggled closer in her sleep. The evening sun cast a golden glow across our bed, illuminating the expression of peace on her face–the face of a woman who knew she was exactly where she
belonged.
The Secret Victory
There was one secret I still kept from Autumn, one I planned to take to my grave.
Six months after our wedding, I’d received a call from Jake. I hadn’t answered, but
he’d left a voicemail that I’d listened to out of curiosity.
“Knight, I want to talk about Autumn. Meet me at Murphy’s, 8 PM.”
Against my better judgment, I’d gone.
Jake looked terrible–unshaven, eyes bloodshot, expensive clothes
uncharacteristically rumpled. He’d already had several drinks by the time I arrived.
2/4
“You orchestrated the whole thing, didn’t you?” he’d asked without preamble. I’d raised an eyebrow, taking the seat across from him. “I’m not sure what you
mean.”
“Don’t play dumb. You sought me out. Made me think introducing you to Autumn was my idea.” He took another swallow of whiskey. “I looked into you after… after everything. You’d been back in the country for months before we ‘coincidentally‘
met at that business mixer.”
I hadn’t confirmed or denied it. Just watched him steadily.
“Why Autumn?” he’d finally asked, his voice breaking slightly. “Out of all the
women in New York, why her?”
“Because she’s extraordinary,” I’d answered simply. “And you never noticed.”
He’d laughed bitterly. “I noticed. Too late, but I noticed.”
“So what do you want, Jake? My blessing to keep sending her gifts? Permission to maintain contact? Because neither of those is happening.”
He’d shaken his head. “I want to know if she’s happy. Really happy.”
The raw vulnerability in his eyes had taken me by surprise. In that moment, I’d
seen past the arrogance to the boy who’d lost something precious through his own
carelessness.
“She is,” I’d said honestly. “Happier than I’ve ever seen her.”
Something had broken in his expression then–relief mixed with devastation.
“Good,” he’d whispered. “That’s… good.”
He’d stood to leave, throwing cash on the table. At the door, he’d turned back.
“Take care of her, Knight. Better than I did.”
It was as close to a blessing as I was ever going to get from Jake Fraser.
I’d never told Autumn about that meeting. She didn’t need to know, Her story had
moved beyond Jake now–she was the author of her own life, writing chapters
filled with success and joy that had nothing to do with him.
As I held her in my arms, listening to her steady breathing, I silently thanked the universe for that little girl with the pebble who’d accidentally marked me for life—a
permanent reminder of the day I first fell in love with Autumn Wilson.
Sometimes the most meaningful journeys aren’t straight lines but circles, bringing us back to where we were always meant to be.
The End.
