Chapter 60
Corine
Six months later
Life had this strange way of smoothing itself out when you least expected it. There were still bad days, of course. Days when Allen would slip up and retreat into himself or when the weight of everything would land too heavily on my chest. But mostly, things were better. Peaceful, even.
Allen was doing better. He'd started therapy, even suggested it himself after an emotional talk one night. There were still shadows under his eyes and ghosts in his gaze, but he smiled more. He played with the kids again. Laughed. The kind of laughter that didn't feel forced. It was a start.
Kyle was set to graduate preschool in a few months. I still couldn't wrap my head around that. My baby boy, growing into this thoughtful, kind, funny little man. He'd started asking bigger questions lately-the kind that made my chest ache and swell with pride all at once. And Astrid... oh, my wild, fierce Astrid. She was four and a half now and had finally started preschool, which was both a triumph and a heartbreak.
The morning we dropped her off for her first day, it was a full-blown operation. She had refused to let go of my hand the entire ride there, even as Jasper tried to lighten the mood with stories about his first day at school.
"Did you cry?" Astrid had asked, peeking up at him with those huge eyes of hers, curled up in my lap in the backseat.
"Cry? Me? Absolutely," Jasper said, turning in the front seat to look at her. "Your granddad had to carry me in while I clung to the doorframe. I was a wreck."
She giggled, but I could still feel the tremble in her tiny fingers.
When we got to the school, Kyle was already bouncing with excitement. He ran ahead, eager to get to his friends, while I tried to unglue Astrid from my side.
"You'll make new friends too," I whispered, brushing her curls behind her ear.
"But I already have friends. Mommy, you, Kyle, Daddy... Uncle Jasper. I don't want new ones."
"I'll be back before you even finish your juice box," I promised.
Jasper crouched down beside her, his voice soft. "How about I give you my lucky bracelet?"
She frowned. "But you always wear that."
"Exactly. That's why it's lucky. If you wear it today, I'll be the luckiest guy in the world. And you'll be okay."
Astrid stared at him like she was deciding if she could believe him. Then she reached out with her small hand, and he slipped the leather bracelet off his wrist and onto hers.
"Okay," she mumbled.
We managed to get her through the classroom door, but just as we turned to leave, she bolted out and wrapped herself around Jasper's leg.
"Don't go!"
Jasper bent and lifted her easily, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I'm not going far, I promise. You'll tell me all about your day later, okay?"
She sniffled. "Can you come pick me up?"
He looked at me and then nodded. "Absolutely. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
It took another five minutes and a patient teacher, but eventually, we left. I cried the entire ride home. Jasper held my hand the whole way.
---
It's strange how relationships grow in the shadows of pain. Jasper and I-somehow-we'd bloomed.
We were in love. Not the reckless, consuming kind I'd experienced before, but something steadier. Something real. We moved like we'd been made to fit together, and he loved my children like they were his own. He never said it out loud, but I saw it-in the way he watched over Kyle during swim class, the way he braided Astrid's hair because she insisted it be "just like Mommy's."
And Allen, surprisingly, had taken to Jasper too. I think he saw something in him-a man who had been broken and built himself back up again. They played golf together now. Drank whiskey on our porch while I watched them through the kitchen window. It was the weirdest, most comforting thing.
Then there was Brit. Sweet, secretive Brit. She was always texting lately, hiding her smile behind her hand. And I knew. Of course, I knew. Ace. I hadn't told Jasper. Mostly because it wasn't my story to tell. But watching her light up over someone... it was a beautiful thing.
---
One Saturday night, everything changed.
The kids were at Allen's for the weekend, which felt foreign and a little too quiet. Jasper insisted we have a "grown-up night," so I threw on one of my nicer dresses, curled my hair, and pretended not to be suspicious about how nervous he looked.
"You're fidgeting," I told him as he poured me a glass of wine.
"I'm always fidgeting."
"No," I said, stepping closer. "You only do that when something's on your mind."
He smiled, a little too tightly, and kissed my forehead. "Just enjoy the night."
Dinner was perfect. He'd cooked, because of course he had. Candlelight flickered, soft jazz hummed through the speakers, and it felt like we were the only two people in the world.
"Dance with me," he said as we finished our drinks.
I laughed. "There's no music."
"There's always music."
He pulled me into the living room, arms wrapping around me as we swayed. My head rested against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"I love you," I whispered.
He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes. "I know. And I've been waiting every day for the right moment to do this."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. My breath caught in my throat.
"I never planned this," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "Not like this. Not with someone like you. But then you came into my life, and you saved me without even trying. You saved me, Corinne. And your kids-they're my kids now too. They're my heart. You're my heart."
Tears blurred my vision as he dropped to one knee.
"Will you marry me?"
Before I could even say a word, Astrid's voice rang out from the hallway.
"Wait!" she cried, running in. "I want a ring too!"
I gasped. "Astrid? What-how are you here?"
Kyle ran in behind her, grinning. Brit stood in the doorway, smiling like she knew every secret in the world.
"We lied," Jasper said, laughing. "They weren't at Allen's. Brit helped me."
"Do I get a ring or not?" Astrid demanded, hands on her hips.
Jasper chuckled, pulling a plastic ring out of his pocket. "Of course you do. My second favorite girl."
He slipped it on her finger, and she beamed.
"Now Mommy's turn," Kyle said, bouncing.
I turned back to Jasper, heart thudding in my chest. "Yes," I whispered. "Yes, I'll marry you."
He slid the ring onto my finger and stood, wrapping me in his arms as the kids clapped.
And for the first time in a very long time, I felt whole.
---
Later that night, when the kids were asleep and the house was quiet again, I curled into Jasper's side, staring at the ring on my finger.
"You sure you want all this chaos?" I teased.
He kissed my forehead. "I want every second of it. Every second with you."
I smiled. And for once, I believed him.
Even broken hearts can find their way back to love.