Chapter Thirty
When Rose answered a knock at her door, the last person she expected was the bald man from the pond. He tipped his ball cap in greeting.
“Hello there. How can I help you?” she asked.
“I promised I would tell you when the male swan was being rereleased into the pond. My friend is dropping him off in ten minutes if you want to come see.”
“Oh!” She’d almost forgotten about the swans. “Of course. Thank you for remembering.”
They walked down to the pond, where a large truck had pulled up. The men who had captured the swan were lowering the tailgate, and the bald man went to help them lift the cage from the back of the truck.
After they opened the cage, the bald man reached in and lifted the swan, whose body was secured in a bag. He carefully unstrapped the bag from around the swan, and once the swan’s wings were free, it dashed into the water to join its mate. The female swan immediately swam over.
“They’re so happy to be reunited,” Rose breathed, awed by the scene in front of her.
“Just wait,” the bald man whispered with a grin. “The show’s about to start.”
At first, Rose didn’t understand what he meant, but as she watched, the swans bent their necks toward each other as if they were bowing. They started moving their heads in a synchronous motion. Circling each other, they raised their wings and pressed their foreheads together in an intricate ballet.
“They’re dancing!” Rose exclaimed in delight.
“That, they are. It’s part of their mating ritual. Some say it helps them to rebuild the bond to dance together like this, especially after time apart.” The bald man wiped his eyes. “It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”
Rose couldn’t think of a response worthy of what she was witnessing. The swans continued their coordinated movements, coming together in the sweetest reunion she had ever seen.
“She never lost faith,” Rose whispered, more to herself than the stranger who had brought her there.
“That’s true love,” the man agreed.
Her heart broke anew. Why can’t Steven and I have what these swans do? Why do humans have to complicate things? The female swan trusted that her mate would recover from his injury and return to her, and her reward was the swan version of a loving embrace.
But life—well, her life anyway—wasn’t like that. Swans didn’t have day jobs that kept them from their families. They didn’t have a million distractions that prevented them from truly connecting. And Rose couldn’t help feeling that swans got the better deal.
As she continued to watch, the swans placed their foreheads together and formed a heart shape with their necks. It was the perfect symbol of their devotion, and her heart longed to have a love like that again.
Ping.Rose removed her phone from her pocket and read the text message from Lanie. It contained only two words: Steven’s home.
The fact Steven hadn’t texted was a message in and of itself. It told her he wasn’t going to push her to visit, that he was giving her all the space she could possibly want.
Maybe he truly has changed.The thought gave her stomach a flutter, the first real feeling of hope she’d had in a while.
Turning her attention back to the swans, the knot that had formed in Rose’s belly the moment she’d heard of Steven’s heart attack loosened, and everything suddenly became clearer. She understood why the female swan had held onto hope her mate would return. She knew what she wanted to do, but she needed to talk to Steven first.
When Steven answered Rose’s knock, she wasn’t expecting him to stand before her on his own two feet with a cane for support. It took every ounce of control she had not to rush into his arms. He looked much improved from the last time she’d seen him.
“May I come in?” she asked.
Without saying a word, Steven nodded and stepped to the side. Rose took a deep breath and entered the home they’d planned to share. Part of her questioned her decision to speak to him there instead of somewhere less meaningful, but she didn’t want to risk having the whole town hear their business.
He led her to the couch and sat stiffly on one side. Her heart in her throat, she sat opposite him. They stared at each other as Rose tried to decide where to begin.
“Not that I’m not happy to see you,” Steven said, breaking the silence, “but why are you here?”
Speak from the heart. “Your sister said something the other day as I was leaving the rehab facility, and I wondered if it was true.”
Steven’s hands clenched into fists. “And what was that?”
She chewed her lip before responding. “That you offered the partnership to Michael.”
“Oh.” His shoulders visibly relaxed. “Yeah, I did.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked in a rush.
He shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d care.”
With one eyebrow raised, she leaned forward. “I practically begged you to take on a partner. Why on earth wouldn’t I care that you finally did so?”
Dropping his gaze, he fidgeted in his seat. “I guess I was worried you’d question my motives.”
Though it hurt to hear, she understood. “I suppose I deserve that.”
“No.” His eyes widened. “You were right. I wasn’t taking care of myself, and I’m sorry it took losing you to realize it.”
“Well, losing me and going back in the hospital,” she joked, though her voice shook.
“Yeah, that too.” He gave her a tentative smile. “But I’m better now. I’ve been making great progress in therapy, and I’m happy to report Michael has accepted my offer.”
It was as if a huge weight had lifted off Rose’s shoulders. “He did? When?”
“This afternoon. He’s coming back over tomorrow so we can finalize the details.”
“Oh, Steven, that’s wonderful news. I’m happy for you.”
“And I hear that the hospital offered you the head nurse position,” Steven said. “Congratulations.”
She ducked her head. “Oh, um, thanks. I haven’t actually accepted it yet.” She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “But I intend to tell them when I go in for my next shift, and then I’ll start the position mid-September.”
“That’s good to hear. They’re lucky to have you.” The smile on his face faltered, and he cleared his throat. “Anyway, now that I’m home, I’m happy to help with any remaining wedding cancelations. I’m sorry you were on your own with that for so long.”
Warmth spread across her cheeks. “Um, about that.”
He cocked his head with a frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Look, I want to say I’m sorry for how I reacted when you went into the hospital this last time.” She closed her eyes as she recalled how terrified she was when she got the call that he was being admitted again. “I was hurt and scared. You weren’t taking care of yourself, and I couldn’t bear to watch you dig your own grave.”
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry, Rose.”
She took a shaky breath. “I just… You’re so stubborn.” She rolled her eyes. “Your whole family is, and I feared you’d never see reason. But when Lanie informed me of everything you’d been doing…” Her eyes met his, and everything clicked into place. “The fact that you didn’t use it to try to win me back when I came to see you showed me how much you’d changed.”
“I swear to you, I have.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “And I promise I will do anything if you would consider giving me another chance.”
“That’s the thing. I realized recently how much I miss you.”
The smile on his face took her breath away. “I’ve missed you too. So very much.”
“And I’ve not been fair to you,” she continued, dropping her gaze.
His eyebrows pulled together. “You have that backward.”
If the situation had been less serious, she might have laughed. “No, I mean it.” She cupped his cheek. “You were so hopeful when Lanie called my bluff about canceling the wedding, and I should have decided right then and there if I was going to actually go through with it or not.”
“You needed time,” Steven said. “And if you still need time, I understand. There’s no rush. We can cancel or postpone it until we’re ready. We don’t have to—”
She held up a hand. “You see? You’re bending over backward to make sure I’m okay, but what about your needs?”
He swallowed, and his eyes went a bit misty. “What I need is you. And I don’t want to risk losing you by making you go through something you aren’t ready for.”
Her heart melted. “What I’m trying to say is, I want us to try again, and I’m not going to run away at the first sign of trouble.” She bowed her head. “But I understand if you don’t trust me because of what I did.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Of course I trust you, but I also put you through a lot. So I understand if you’re not sure of me.”
“But I am sure of you,” she said. After a moment’s hesitation, she took his hand and pressed it to her heart. “I only broke up with you because I thought I could protect my heart from the pain of losing you if I did it on my own terms. But I was wrong. I know now what a mistake that was because you’re the one for me.” Her eyes filled with tears. “You’re my swan.”
“What?” he asked, a quizzical expression on his face.
“Never mind,” she said with a watery laugh. “Just know I love you.”
“Wait.” His eyes widened. “Does this mean—”
She nodded. “Let’s make this official.”
The joy on his face left her speechless. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.
“Rose,” he murmured into her hair as they parted. “My Rose.”
And they were the sweetest words she had ever heard.