Chapter 25
“Close your eyes, Wesley murmured, his voice a mixture of tenderness and resolve as he carefully navigated me down the dimly lit hallway.
“Wesley, I giggled, trying unsuccessfully to sneak a glance. “What on earth are you up to?”
“Uh–uh, no peeking,” he chided, his hand slipping over my eyes to block my view. His touch was warm, firm. “I mean it.”
I sighed, surrendering to his lead, though my growing curiosity prickled at me. Faint notes of soft music wafted through the air, and I caught the delicate, enchanting scent of candles somewhere in the distance. My heartbeat quickened.
1/10
Chapter 25
+5 Points
“Alright,” he finally said, coming to a stop. “You can open them now.”
I opened my eyes–and gasped.
The dining room had been utterly transformed. Twinkling fairy lights wove a canopy across the ceiling, bathing the room in a soft, golden luminescence. A small table, set exquisitely for two, sat at the center, surrounded by the warm glow of flickering candles and the gentle blush of rose petals scattered across the surface. In the background, music played faintly, its melody wrapping the room in an otherworldly calm.
“Wesley,” I whispered, turning to face him, my voice filled with awe. “You…”
His lips curved into a quiet smile, his eyes glimmering in the glow of the lights. “Do you
2/10
Chapter 25
+ 5 Points
like it?”
Tears brimmed in my eyes as I nodded, overwhelmed. “It’s perfect,” I said softly, my voice trembling with emotion.
He stepped forward, pulling out a chair and gesturing for me to sit. “I wanted to do something special. For you. For us. I know I’ve made mistakes, Iris. Forgetting… I don’t know how I let it happen, but I swear, no part of my heart has ever forgotten you.”
As we sat together at the intimate table, it felt as if the world beyond the room simply ceased to exist. The night unfolded beautifully, as though the atmosphere itself conspired to soothe every pain we’d lived through. We laughed, reminisced, and shared stories–each memory dusted with a sweetness that seemed magnified by the fragile journey we had traveled to get here.
3/10
Chapter 25
+ 5 Points
Wesley remained close, his hand brushing mine when he leaned forward to speak, his gaze scarcely wavering from my face. Time passed gently, yet deeply, until finally, he grew quiet, his tone shifting with the weight of an unspoken thought.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about the baby we lost,” he said, his voice breaking almost imperceptibly under the strain of vulnerability.
The rawness of the admission stilled me. Reaching across the table, I took his hand in mine, my fingers curling over his. “Wesley” I said softly, feeling both the ache of our shared pain and the defiance of enduring love, “I think about it too. But no matter how deeply it hurt, we can’t change the past. What matters now is this moment, and the fact we made it here. Together.”
4/10
Chapter 25
+ 5 Points
His jaw tightened slightly, and after a long pause, he nodded. The squeeze of his hand was gentle, but certain. “You’re right. And I promise you this, Iris–whatever happens next, I won’t falter. I won’t let anything or anyone come between us again.”
Later that night, wrapped in the quiet sanctuary of our bed, I rolled to face him, my heart brimming with gratitude and peace.
He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face, his fingertips lingering against my cheek, warm and comforting. The room was dark, save for the moonlight sifting through the curtains.
“I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone the way I love you,” he whispered, so softly it felt like a prayer meant only for my ears.
5/10
Chapter 25
+5 Points
I smiled, leaning into his touch, my voice steady but tender. “You’ve shown me love in ways I never knew were possible.”
His lips found mine, slow and unhurried, and everything else in the world–every doubt, fear, and darkness–slipped away. His hands traced the curve of my back as he pulled me closer, and we folded into each other completely, cherishing the fragile but unshakable bond between us.
The next morning, I awoke in the warmth of his arms. His voice, heavy and rough with sleep, was the first sound I heard. “Good morning,” he murmured into my hair.
“Good morning,” I answered, rolling over to meet his gaze.
He brushed a kiss against my forehead, his lips curling into that familiar, disarming
6/10
Chapter 25
+ 5 Points
smile. “How do you feel?”
“Happy,” I replied simply, but the word carried the full weight of everything I couldn’t put into longer sentences.
His grin widened. He kissed me again, slower this time, though only a moment passed before he swung out of bed, leaving me to bask in the light of the morning.
By mid–afternoon, a call shattered the calm of the day’s routine. Wesley answered, quickly putting the phone on speaker so I could hear, too.
“You’re not going to believe this,” Thaddeus’s voice announced, alive with excitement.
“What is it?” Wesley asked, frowning slightly in curiosity.
7/10
S
“I found her,” Thaddeus said, the words heavy with meaning. “The woman who ran the orphanage where I grew up. She remembered everything. Wesley, it wasn’t random. We were separated because of a fight between our parents. They gave me up –just like that–and never came back. It’s heartbreaking, but at least… at least I have
you now.”
The silence that followed was thick and humming with emotion. Wesley’s features tightened, his jaw flexing as he processed Thaddeus’s words. At last, he responded, his tone clear and steady. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. But it’s different now, Thaddeus. We’re here, and whatever time we lost, we’ll make up for it. I promise.”
True to his word, a week later, we stood side by side as Thaddeus married Marissa in a ceremony brimming with joy and hope.
8/10
Chapter 25
+ 5 Points
Watching Wesley laugh with his brother was a kind of bittersweet beauty, but mostly it was healing. As the night carried on, Wesley and I swayed together beneath the stars.
“You’re really good at this ‘brother‘ thing, you know,” I said, resting my cheek against his shoulder.
He chuckled. “And you’re not bad at this ‘wife‘ gig.”
But fate wasn’t done with us yet. Not entirely. A few weeks after that perfect night, I woke with a sudden and unmistakable nausea. Rushing to the bathroom, I knelt, the revelation dawning before I had the courage to utter it aloud.
Wesley found me there, his concern taking shape in his voice. “Iris, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
9/10
Chapter 25
+ 5 Points
I lifted my gaze, tears pooling, and said the words that set our world spinning in the best way. “Wesley, I think… I’m pregnant.”
His breath caught before his face split into a joyous smile. “Are you serious?”
I nodded despite the tears streaming down. my cheeks.
Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees, his hands cupping my stomach. Meeting my eyes, his voice came low and full of resolve. “This time, Iris, I promise–our baby will be safe. I won’t let anything happen to you or to them.”
And for the first time in a long time, I believed in happy endings. Deep down, I knew–this time, everything would be okay.
10/10
