Chapter 56
Madison
Early morning light streamed through the curtains in soft gold, the kind of light that made the whole room feel gentler.
I stirred against the steady rhythm of Seth’s breathing, my cheek pressed to his chest, our legs still tangled under the sheets.
For a moment, I just stayed there, listening to the solid beat of his heart, letting myself believe this wasn’t a dream.
Last night had changed everything.
It wasn’t just the way his touch had unraveled me or the way we had found each other in the quiet, skin to skin, hearts open. It was the way he looked at me afterward, like I was not a risk but a choice, like I was not fragile but his. That look had stayed with me even as sleep claimed us.
I shifted carefully, pressing a kiss to his shoulder before slipping out of bed. My body still hummed with the echo of him, but my mind had already moved to Olive. How would she take the news? How could I explain it in a way that felt steady and safe for her?
In the kitchen, the kettle whistled while I set out bowls for cereal. The scent of coffee filled the air just as Olive padded in, Bunny clutched under her arm, her curls wild from sleep. She blinked at me, then grinned.
“Morning, Mommy. Did Uncle Seth make pancakes again?”
“Not today,” I said with a laugh, ruffling her hair. “But we do have cereal.”
She climbed onto a chair, swinging her legs. “Okay. Cereal is fine. Where’s Uncle Seth?”
Before I could answer, his footsteps came down the hall. He was barefoot, hair mussed, a T-shirt pulled on in a hurry. The sight of him like that, casual, soft, still carrying the shadow of last night, made my chest tighten.
“Morning,” he said, leaning down to kiss the top of Olive’s head. She giggled and wrinkled her nose.
“Morning!” she chirped. “Are you eating cereal with us?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said, pulling out a chair.
I poured the milk, my hands steady even as my heart pounded. It was time.
“Olive,” I began, glancing at Seth. His hand brushed mine under the table, grounding me. “There’s something we want to tell you.”
She looked up from her cereal, spoon halfway to her mouth. “What?”
I took a breath. “You know how we’ve been staying here with Uncle Seth, and how we’ve all been spending time together?”
She nodded. “Uh-huh. Like a team.”
“Exactly,” I said, smiling. “Well, last night, Uncle Seth asked me to be his girlfriend. That means he and I are together now, not just as friends, but as something more. And it means we’re going to keep being a family, the three of us.”
Olive’s eyes widened, and for a heartbeat, I wondered if she understood. Then, she dropped her spoon and squealed so loudly it startled both of us.
“I knew it! You’re boyfriend and girlfriend now!”
Seth laughed, shaking his head. “You’re too smart for us, Olive.”
She scrambled from her chair and threw her arms around both of us at once, her little body wedged between. “Does this mean we can stay here forever?”
I looked at Seth, my eyes stinging. He reached across the table and cupped the back of Olive’s head, pulling us closer.
“Yes,” he said softly. “It means forever.”
Olive squeezed tighter, Bunny pressed between us, and in that moment, I knew there was no house, no storm, no past that could make me doubt this.
This was home.
The morning carried on with laughter and spilled milk and Olive’s endless chatter about how she was going to draw a picture of our ‘new family’ with extra sparkles. But underneath it all was a current of peace, steady and strong.
Later, when the dishes were cleared and Olive darted off to her crayons, Seth caught my hand at the sink. His lips brushed my temple, his voice low. “Happily ever after looks good on you.”
I smiled, leaning into him. “On us.”
And for the first time in a long time, I believed it.