Chapter 23
A MORNING WHERE I BELONG
VIOLET
What makes someone unforgettable to you?
SilenceInMidnight: Kindness.
Rowan and I find ourselves back on the porch again, wrapped in blankets, each of us holding a mug of hot cocoa. In the last few days, this has turned into our normal.
The winter air bites gently at my cheeks as I lift the cup to my lips. Beyond the trees, past the soft outline of the coniferous, a light flickers on.
“Your parents are back?” I ask.
A few days ago, he told me they’d gone on a trip to bring home a rescue dog who needs fostering. They take care of dogs that are too hurt to be placed right away. Dogs that need care, patience, and time before they’re ready for the world again.
He nods, already reaching for his phone. I mirror him, our movements so in sync it almost startles me.
Rowan: They’ve been back for a few days.
I chew on my bottom lip. Since I arrived here, Rowan hasn’t left this house, not once. I glance briefly at his closed laptop and then back toward the faint glow of his parents’ home.
He’s not just skipping work—he’s skipping everything.
“Do you not see your parents often?”
I catch the hesitation in his eyes before he turns to his phone.
Rowan: Archer and I have to be there every Saturday for breakfast. Mom doesn’t accept any excuses for that. So even when we’re away for work or travel, we make it up when we’re back.
“Oh.” Another obligation that he’s quietly bent around me. “I really don’t mind being alone for a while. I swear I won’t add any pink curtains or pillows while you’re away.”
His lips curve.
Rowan: Archer will be there tomorrow morning. Would you like to join me?
“Me?” He wants me to meet his parents! “I don’t want to intrude.”
Rowan: There’s no intrusion. You have a standing invitation from my mom. She’s been texting me every other day asking when she can meet you.
“Really?” My voice jumps an octave.
He nods.
Rowan: You’re my first girlfriend. Do you really doubt her curiosity?
His words sink in quietly.
First girlfriend.
So far, we’ve avoided labels, skirting around definitions. But in this time, I’ve also learned that Rowan has waited a long time to claim someone and for someone to claim him.
I don’t know whether it was his choice or his fear or something far more painful, like someone rejecting him.
But what I do know is that I’m unimaginably lucky. Rowan doesn’t just go the extra mile for me. He builds a world where I don’t feel like a burden.
I can see how much he wants me to meet his parents, to see me, even briefly, folded into his world.
“Are you sure it wouldn’t be a problem?”
His smile only grows.
Rowan: The only problem is that my mom might never let you leave.
I lift an eyebrow.
Rowan: I’ve recently been made aware that she always wanted to be a girl mom. As much as it pains Archer and me to realize we weren’t as wanted as we thought, her shopping obsession for Chloe and Rory suddenly makes sense.
I laugh and he winks.
Rowan freaking winks and my heart dissolves into a useless, traitorous puddle.
Rowan: And now that both my cousins are out of town, and you’re here, all of her affection will be directed at you. Are you okay with that?
How bad can it be?
But the next morning, I get my answer. It isn’t bad at all. It’s something else entirely.
Our shoulders brush as Rowan and I stand on the porch of his parents’ house. He reaches for the vintage doorknob, twists it, and the door opens into the living room beyond.
It feels familiar in one way—there’s nature everywhere, light and warmth woven into the space, but that’s where the similarities to Rowan’s home end. While his place is cozy and modern, this house feels like an old love story that never learned how to end.
There are intricate wooden carvings along the doorframe, exposed wooden beams overhead, and an antique chandelier hanging low, its glow soft and golden.
Family photographs crowd the mantel above a Victorian fireplace.
Before I can take in anything else, a pair of arms wraps around me, and I’m immediately enveloped in the scent of lavender and coconut.
“Finally, you’re here,” says a light, cheerful voice near my ear.
“Mom, you promised you wouldn’t scare her.”
I look up to see Archer stepping closer, shaking his head with an amused smile.
The woman hugging me pulls back, and I’m greeted by kind, bright eyes. This must be Vienna, their mom.
I’ve only met Archer once before, at the hospital, when my world was still foggy and incoherent. But I’d recognize him anywhere. Rowan’s house is full of photographs of him and his twin.
“Sorry.” Vienna nods toward my sling. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
I shake my head. Despite her enthusiasm, her touch was careful. She looks young, too young to be the mother of two grown men. If I passed her on the street, I’d guess she was their older sister at most.
“Hi. I’m Violet.”
“I know.” She’s so excited, as if I’m not an ordinary girl without memories but her favorite celebrity. “I’ve been wanting to meet you ever since you moved in with Rowan. I’m just very big on hugs.”
“I love your shampoo,” I blurt.
Vienna beams without missing a beat. “It’s coconut, but the lavender you’re smelling is a hair mist. Zane made it himself, with flowers from our garden.”
Oh, wow.
When Vienna finally steps aside, Rowan’s hand finds my wrist. His thumb rests just above my pulse point, silently checking in. I turn toward him and offer a small smile, reassuring him that I’m okay.
And I really am.
To my surprise, I don’t feel awkward at all. I like this place; it carries Rowan’s childhood in its walls.
He’d told me his parents had only seen me in passing before, and knowing they don’t truly know me yet feels like a relief. There’s no version of me I’m expected to be, no pressure to be the girl I can’t remember.
Vienna hugs Rowan next, pressing a kiss to his forehead. The tenderness of it makes my chest ache in the best way.
“Come on,” she says. “Breakfast is ready. Zane’s waiting.”
With Rowan’s hand in mine, we follow Vienna and Archer into the kitchen.
Stone floors stretch beneath my feet. Wooden beams line the ceiling, from which bundles of herbs hang drying in neat rows. There’s a large dining table tucked into the corner.
“This feels so cozy,” I whisper.
“We renovated and expanded the kitchen after the boys were born. I love working in the kitchen but also wanted to be close to them, so they’d do homework or play right here.” Vienna gestures to the table.
Rowan and I have just taken our seats when his dad walks in. I’ve only seen Zane once before, briefly, half hidden in the shadows the evening he came to speak with Rowan at the carport. Today, in a white button-down and faded jeans, it’s clear where Rowan and Archer get their looks.
Zane sets the flowers onto the sink before walking over to us. His arm slips around Vienna’s waist as if by instinct, and she leans into him, resting her head against his shoulder.
They make a beautiful couple, their love spilling into the room, warm and luminous.
“W-welcome to our home, Violet. It’s s-so good to finally m-meet you.”
Even though Rowan told me about his stutter, it still catches me off guard. I take a moment before returning his smile.
“Thank you so much for inviting me.”
He doesn’t seem bothered by my initial hesitation, or maybe he’s accustomed to people needing a moment to adjust to his words. I push aside the quiet sadness that thought brings.
“No pr-roblem at all. It’s our pleasure.” He glances at his wife. “Is-sn’t it?”
Vienna nods, then rises onto her toes and presses a kiss to her husband’s lips.
It isn’t rushed. It’s not the kind of kiss that’s offered for show or softened by an audience. Their mouths linger together for a few seconds as Zane’s arms circle her waist, and Vienna’s fingers slip easily into his hair.
I consider looking away, not wanting to intrude on their private moment. But watching them leaves a warmth behind that I can’t shake. Their love doesn’t stay contained between them—it touches everyone in its path.
I can only imagine the feeling of being so deeply in love with someone for so many years. Yet watching them, it feels entirely possible.
“Mom, Dad,” Archer says dryly. “Maybe tone down the PDA. Violet just walked into the house.”
Despite the words, his expression gives him away; he doesn’t mind at all. If anything, both he and Rowan look pleased to see their parents so openly in love.
Vienna just shakes her head and turns to me, a sheepish smile on her face.
“Sorry. But this is one thing you’ll have to get used to. Zane and I promised each other long ago that when it comes to our love, we don’t hesitate. Life is too short to second-guess everything, and holding back affection feels like the most foolish thing of all.”
If anyone understands the fragility of life, it’s me. In such simple, unfiltered words, Vienna just offered such an important lesson.
I shake my head and smile at her. “I don’t mind at all. It makes me happy watching the two of you.”
Her grin widens. This time when she reaches for me, she pauses, giving me space to pull away. But I don’t, and she rests her hand over mine instead. “I hope you and Ro find the same kind of love Zane and I share.”
My throat closes before I can stop it.
“Holy crap, Ro.” Archer whistles. “You might want to make a run for it before Mom scares your girl away. She didn’t even check if you guys have said the big L-word to each other.”
Heat floods my face. I’m suddenly acutely aware of myself, of how close Rowan is, of how little armor I have left on. The easy way love exists in this house startles me, and at the same time, it makes me want to stay.
I watch Rowan’s fingers start to move, and Archer translates for him without missing a beat.
“Yeah, Mom. If you’re going to scare Violet like this, maybe we should just head back.”
Both brothers grin, clearly enjoying themselves.
“Don’t you dare.” Vienna fixes Rowan with a pointed look that holds no real threat.