Epilogue - October the next year
“Josie.”
I jerked my head up from the painting I was working on. I’d been at it for hours. The sunlight hitting the autumn leaves was perfect in this lighting and I didn’t want to miss a thing. “Sorry, what?”
Theo smiled at me fondly, the skin next to his eyes crinkling. “I’ve been calling you.”
“I didn’t hear.” I always got caught up while I was painting. I didn’t even need music to get lost in my own world.
We had settled in nicely the past year.
It wasn’t even a question that we would stay in the cottage on Lori’s property. It felt like home for us. We’d slowly been pouring more of ourselves into the space.
Once it was clear the two of us had no intention of leaving, Lori had tried to force us to switch houses with her, but we liked the cottage. Sure, it was small, but we didn’t need space from each other.
Besides, cleaning out the main house would likely take at least another full year.
My mother had come up to visit for a few weeks in the summer after she and her boyfriend broke up.
She’d loved Theo instantly. Likely because he treated me with care and consideration—something I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.
Once she saw our life in Mystic, I think she realized it would be futile to even try and convince me to move back.
“What do you want for dinner before your big night tomorrow?” Theo asked, leaning into the door frame.
Tomorrow was my first solo art exhibit. In New York. We would drive down and stay with my mom in her new apartment—a one bedroom, thank the universe.
I’d finally get to show Theo the city. We were only in town for a week, but the list of places I wanted to take him and food I wanted him to try was already pages long.
“Whatever you make is fine. I’ll come in and help you.” I leapt up and walked inside.
Theo caught me by my arm, halting me in my tracks for a second so that he could place a kiss on the top of my head. When I walked through the living room and into the kitchen, a pot was already on the stove, a wooden spoon stirring it all by itself.
For the most part, Theo didn’t use much magic, just the little conveniences here and there. He’d poured all of his focus into energy healing and becoming better at the craft. He had his own clients and Lori was thrilled to have someone who was like family to her now to take over one day.
Theo hadn’t been back to his realm. I’d encouraged him to visit but he said after that month apart, he couldn’t handle leaving again.
He kept in touch with Matteo through letters passed on the full moon.
There was still talk of mortals being able to visit in a few years.
Theo said he would wait for that. He didn’t want to be back there without me.
Our connection had grown stronger, so much so that everyone we met in town commented on how we seemed meant to be.
Lori couldn’t help grinning smugly every time she watched Theo and me together.
Now she didn’t hesitate to toss the word “soulmate” around.
I still rolled my eyes at the idea, but Theo would smile and stare down at me.
And when I locked eyes with him, I guess I believed it too.
If anyone was my soulmate, it was surely him.
It was a gift to find him in this lifetime.
Or maybe it was magic.
The End