Epilogue
EPILOGUE
A YEAR OR SO LATER…
CLARA
The plane touches down smoothly, its wheels humming against the tarmac, and I feel the familiar jolt of excitement I get every time I land in New York. The city’s energy seems to seep through the walls of the airport, to the passengers moving hastily through the aisle, gathering their belongings and leaving in a rush to explore this wonderful city.
I pull my carry-on from the overhead compartment, smiling politely at the cleaning crew ready to turn over this plane. My muscles ache from the overnight flight, and my eyes are gritty from lack of sleep, but none of it matters. Not the long hours in the air, not the endless customs lines, not even the good-natured ribbing from my coworkers about my secret life in New York. Because at the end of every flight, there’s Tom.
It’s been over a year. A year and a half of weekly flights between Buenos Aires and New York, a year of stolen days and quiet moments that feel like they belong in another world, far removed from the routine of my everyday life. A year of learning to love him—not just in the big, obvious ways, but in the small ones, too.
The way he leaves the porch lights on for me, even though I always get there in the morning when it’s already light out. The way he makes me coffee just the way I like it, even though he’s turned into more of a tea guy in the past few months. The way he listens when I ramble about passenger stories or Sofía’s latest relationship drama, his steady, calm presence grounding me.
I shuffle off the plane, my uniform wrinkled everywhere. The airport is bustling, the kind of organized chaos I’ve learned to navigate with ease. But today feels different. There’s a fluttering in my chest, a sense of anticipation I can’t explain.
When I clear customs and step into the arrivals area, I spot him instantly. Tom stands tall in his tan coat, his brown hair catching the soft autumn light filtering through the terminal windows. But it’s not just him—it’s Ellie, too, her auburn curls pulled back in a ponytail, bouncing as she waves at me excitedly .
For a second, I’m frozen in place. They’ve never met me here before—Tom usually waits for me at the house, especially on weeks when he has his daughter with him. My hand tightens on the handle of my suitcase as I move towards them, my heart swelling at the sight of both of them standing there together with their matching smiles.
“Clara!” Ellie shouts, breaking into a run in my direction. Her voice echoes in the terminal, and people turn to look, but I don’t care. I stopped caring exactly a year ago when I thought I had missed the biggest thing to ever happen to me. I drop my bag just in time to catch her as she barrels into me, her arms wrapping tightly around my waist. She smells faintly of shampoo and hay, and I laugh, my exhaustion melting away.
“Hey, honey,” I say, squeezing her tightly. “What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?”
“It’s teacher development day,” she explains matter-of-factly, pulling back to look at me with her big, curious eyes. “Dad said we had to come because it’s a special day.”
“A special day?” I glance up at Tom and scrunch my nose. He’s walking towards us, his hands shoved into his coat pockets, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he says, his voice warm and the corners of his eyes crinkling in that way that still makes my stomach flip. “She insisted, and I wasn’t about to argue.”
Ellie grabs my hand and pulls me towards him. “You’re staying the whole weekend, right? Dad said maybe you can help me with Jupiter. He keeps trying to eat my hair.”
I laugh, casting a questioning look at Tom. “Is that what you named the new horse? I thought you were going to name him Polo.”
Ellie rolls her eyes and looks at her dad, shaking her head with a smile on her face. “No, ew,” she says. “How predictable is that?”
Tom’s grin widens and he reaches out, brushing his hand lightly against mine, his touch sending a familiar warmth through me. “You up for a day at the stables?” he asks softly, his gaze searching mine. “Ellie’s got it all planned out.”
“I can’t think of anything better,” I say, and I mean it.
The drive out of the city is filled with chatter—mostly Ellie’s as she fills me in on everything I’ve missed since my last visit two weeks ago. Her voice is animated as she recounts Jupiter’s latest antics, the progress she’s made in her polo lessons, and the Halloween decorations she’s been begging Tom to put up. I steal glances at Tom in the driver’s seat, one of his hands steady on the wheel and the other one draped casually over my knee, his expression soft as he listens to his daughter. This is the life he’s built, the one he’s let me step into piece by piece, and I feel a swell of gratitude that I get to be part of it.
By the time we pull up to the stables, the autumn colors are on full display. The trees surrounding the property are all a picture of oranges, yellows and reds, their leaves carpeting the ground and making it look golden in the early morning light. The air is crisp, carrying the faint scent of hay and manure, and the familiar sight of the barn and paddocks fills me with a sense of peace I didn’t know I needed.
After a short nap, I make my way down to the kitchen, where Ellie and Tom are eating. After lunch, the day passes in a blur of easy moments—helping Ellie with Jupiter’s routine, wandering the paddocks with Tom, catching up on the little things that make up our separate lives. It’s simple and quiet, the kind of day that feels like it belongs to us alone.
Later, as the sun begins to dip below the horizon and Ellie heads to her mom’s house for dinner, Tom takes my hand and leads me to the edge of the property. There’s a large oak tree there, its branches stretching wide against the sky, and a blanket spread out beneath it.
“What’s this?” I ask, my heart picking up pace as he guides me to sit beside him.
“We’re going on an adventure.” He shrugs, his lips curing into a small smile. “Just wanted to spend some time with you.”
I laugh, leaning against him and sighing, because that’s all we do when I visit. Almost like he puts his life partially on hold just to savor the precious hours we have together.
We sit there for a while, the silence between us comfortable, the colors of the early sunset painting the landscape in soft, warm hues. Tom’s hand finds mine, this thumb brushing over my knuckles, and I lean closer to him, closing my eyes and letting the moment settle around us.
“I’ve been thinking,” he says after a long pause, his voice low and steady.
“ Ay, no, ” I tease, glancing up at him. “That sounds serious.”
He chuckles, but there’s a nervous edge to it that makes me sit up straighter. He shifts, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a small box. My breath catches, and my heart leaps into my throat.
“Clara, sweetheart,” he begins, his eyes meeting mine, earnest and full of emotion. “This past year…it hasn’t been easy. The flights, the distance, the juggling of schedules—it’s been exhausting. But it’s also been the best year of my life, because it’s been with you.”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as he continues, his voice growing steadier with each word.
“I’ve watched you fit into my life with Ellie, with the horses, with everything I thought would scare someone off. But you didn’t run. You stayed. And I can’t imagine doing any of this without you.”
He opens the box, revealing a simple, elegant ring that catches the fading light. “Will you marry me?”
For a moment, all I can do is stare at him, my chest so full it feels like it might burst. Then, without hesitation, I throw my arms around him, laughing through my tears.
“Yes,” I whisper against his ear. “A million times, yes.”
Tom pulls back just enough to look at me, his grin wide and boyish as he slides the ring onto my finger. “Good,” he says, his voice thick with emotion and his eyes shiny with unshed tears. “Because I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”
We stay there under the tree, the world around us fading away, and finally it feels like the last piece of the puzzle missing in my life clicks into place.
FIN