Epilogue - Caleb and Jiya #2
After thanking Elle, I gathered everything, placed it carefully back into the envelope, and headed to the car.
When I arrived at the hotel, I parked in the visitor’s lot and walked inside, my heart pounding harder with every step.
This had to be the end.
Caleb would be waiting.
I pressed the button for the floor of the Royal Suite and rode the elevator up, my heartbeat growing faster with each passing second.
The doors opened.
I hurried down the hallway and pushed open the suite door.
But instead of Caleb, I found—
Another red envelope.
Laughing softly, I shook my head.
Of course.
I opened it quickly.
Head to the roof. Your ride awaits you!
My breath hitched.
Without another thought, I turned and ran back to the elevator.
Moments later, I stepped onto the rooftop.
And there, waiting for me beneath the autumn sky…
Was a helicopter.
CALEB
I heard the distant hum of the chopper long before it appeared.
The steady thrum of its blades echoed across the lake, growing louder with each passing second while the sharp evening chill curled through the air around me.
I stood at the edge of the dock, my hands tucked into the pockets of my coat, trying unsuccessfully to calm the nervous energy pulsing through my body.
For two weeks, I had planned the entire day with precision, obsessively. Every clue, every stop, every timing had been checked and rechecked until I knew the entire thing by heart. I had waited eagerly—impatiently—for the moment when it would finally unfold.
And now… it was all coming together.
A photographer had quietly followed Jiya throughout the day, capturing her reactions as she solved each clue—her laughter, confusion, smiles, and all the little expressions I never wanted to forget. Another photographer waited nearby now, ready to capture the proposal itself.
This was not just a proposal.
This was the beginning of the rest of our lives.
The children were safely with my parents, and I was deeply grateful for that.
They had been more than willing to help, their excitement matching my own.
My family, Karena, and Elle all knew about the plan.
They had spent the last week teasing me, offering suggestions, and laughing at how nervous I had become over everything.
Everyone was rooting for us.
I glanced around the lakeside setting once more.
Soft lights had been strung along the dock, glowing warmly against the fading daylight. The gentle ripple of water reflected the golden hues of the evening sky, and the quiet beauty of the lake wrapped around the entire evening with a calmness that felt almost unreal.
It was perfect.
Exactly the way I had imagined it.
Still, my heart refused to slow down.
I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the small velvet box, opening it carefully.
The diamond caught the light immediately, sparkling with a brilliance against the darkening evening sky.
This ring belonged to her.
Just like my heart always had.
Closing the box, I slipped it back into my pocket and exhaled slowly.
I had rehearsed my speech a hundred times—no, a thousand—but now that the moment was finally here, every carefully planned word seemed to disappear from my head.
Then I heard footsteps approaching.
I lifted my head.
And there she was.
Walking slowly down the dock toward me.
For a second, everything else faded—the lights, the lake, the wind moving across the water.
All I could see was her.
She wore jeans, knee-high boots, a jacket, and a beanie, her loose hair falling softly around her shoulders while the cold evening air painted her cheeks a soft shade of pink.
God.
She was beautiful.
Effortlessly beautiful.
Not because of what she wore or how she looked beneath the lights.
But because she was herself.
The woman I had loved through every version of our story.
My heart slammed hard against my ribs as she moved closer with every step.
This was it.
The beginning of forever.
JIYA
My heart was beating wildly.
The scavenger hunt had taken me through pieces of our history all day long—from old memories and laughter to moments I had nearly forgotten. And now, somehow, it had led me all the way to Whistler in a helicopter.
Even stepping out into the crisp mountain air felt surreal.
A woman guided me gently toward the dock where Caleb was waiting.
The moment I saw it, my breath caught.
The scenery was breathtaking.
Against the backdrop of the still water and towering pine trees stood the wooden dock, glowing softly beneath the fading light of early evening. Candles and lanterns lined the path ahead of me, their warm flames flickering against the hazy grey sky as mist curled lazily around the lake.
Photographs hung from the lanterns beside the walkway. Pictures of Caleb and me. Pieces of our life together frozen in time.
Flowers and autumn leaves had been scattered carefully across the dock, creating a path that felt intimate, romantic, unmistakably Caleb.
Then my eyes landed on the wooden frame standing near the centre.
No measure of time with you will be enough,
but let’s start with forever!
A soft gasp escaped my lips.
I had always loved that quote from Twilight, and seeing it there, in Caleb’s handwriting, made emotion swell inside my chest.
Then I saw him.
Standing at the center of the dock.
Caleb.
The soft glow of the lanterns cast warm light across his face, catching against the faint stubble along his jaw while the evening wind stirred his hair gently.
He looked gorgeous in beige trousers, tan shoes, and a tailored jacket, his eyes fixed on me with a mixture of love, anticipation, and nerves that made my heart ache with tenderness.
All of it was written openly on his face.
A slow smile spread across my face as understanding bloomed inside me.
I knew what was about to happen.
My boots echoed softly against the wood on the dock as I walked toward him.
The second I reached him, Caleb immediately reached for my hands, warming my cold fingers between his own.
The heat of his touch spread instantly through my body, steadying my racing heart.
“Jiya,” he said softly, emotion thick in his voice. “Today was about remembering where we started… every clue brought you back to a moment that mattered to us. Because every road I followed somehow led back to you.”
Emotion lodged painfully in my throat.
“There are still so many places we haven’t seen yet,” he continued quietly, his eyes never leaving mine. “And I want to experience every single one of them with you.”
Tears burned behind my eyes immediately.
“I know what life feels like without you,” he said, his voice roughening slightly. “And I never want to live like that again.”
Emotion swelled painfully inside my chest because I knew exactly what he meant. The pain of those years—the distance, the loss, the silence—was still etched into both of us.
“I love our children, and I love you,” he whispered. “More than anything.”
His thumb brushed softly across my knuckles.
“You are my home, Jiya.”
The tears slipped free then.
“I want to build the future we dreamed about together,” he continued quietly. “And I want to spend the rest of my life loving you.”
Before I could respond, Caleb slowly lowered himself onto one knee.
My breath caught sharply.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, opening it carefully beneath the glow of the lanterns.
Inside sat a stunning heart-shaped diamond framed by elegant baguette side stones, sparkling brilliantly beneath the soft evening light.
“Jiya Flores,” he said, looking up at me with hopeful eyes. “Will you marry me?”
A tear slid down my cheek.
“Because I can’t wait to marry you.”
For a second, the entire world seemed to disappear around us.
Every heartbreak.
Every mistake.
Every loss.
Every second chance.
All of it had somehow led us back here.
Back to each other.
A shaky laugh escaped me through my tears as a radiant smile spread across my face.
“Yes!” I whispered first. Then louder, “Yes! I can’t wait to marry you either.”
Relief and happiness flooded his face as he slipped the ring gently onto my finger, his hands trembling slightly as the diamond settled against my skin, sealing a promise that felt long overdue.
Then suddenly Caleb was standing again, pulling me straight into his arms.
“I love you, sweetheart!” he whispered against my hair, his voice filled with emotion.
I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, holding him just as fiercely.
“I love you too,” I whispered back shakily. “More than you know.”
A heartbeat later, our lips met beneath the glow of the lanterns while the lake, the mountains, and the entire world around us disappeared into the background.
THE END
After everything Jiya and Caleb endured to find their way back to each other, one final unforgettable moment still remains. Continue their story in this exclusive Bonus Epilogue.