Page 96 of When We Are Complete

I tilt my head, curious. “What is it?”

Her gaze softens, her fingers giving mine a comforting squeeze. “Your mother and I used to chat in the front yard some days,” she says, as the people around us start drifting away to enjoy the festival. “You know how she loved to garden. She’d tell me about you, how proud she was. She wanted so badly to set a good example for you, you know, by working and being independent. But she also felt terrible about missing time with you. She felt pulled in two a lot of the time.”

My mother never told me that. I’d always imagined she was perfectly happy with her choices, never struggling with doubts the way I did.

Mrs. Fraser releases my hand. “She loved you more than anything, Kelly. You and your brothers. She just wanted to make you proud.”

Jake’s arm tightens around me, his presence a steady comfort against the ache in my throat. He whispers, “You don’thave to hold back, beautiful.” And his words are the permission I need to let my guard down, to justfeel.

A fresh wave of emotion surges up, and tears are slipping down my cheeks. I wipe my face with my sleeve and look down, a little self-conscious to be crying in the middle of the festival in front of Mrs. Fraser.

But Jake is there, shaking his head, “Hey, don’t you dare be embarrassed. You can cry whenever the hell you want.”

I let out a shaky laugh, leaning into him as Mrs. Fraser pats my arm. “You’ll be okay, dear.”

“Thank you,” I say.I know.

As she walks away, a sense of peace settles in my heart. I stand there wrapped in Jake’s arms, the festival humming around us—laughter, music, the voices of people I’ve known all my life—but it all fades as he leans down, his lips meeting mine in a kiss that sends pleasure and happiness through me, grounding and freeing all at once.

In this moment, the world spins in a slow, steady rhythm, and I know, deep down, that we’ve finally found our way home. We have it all—love, family, and a future I can believe in, built not on perfection, but on the beautiful, messy truth of who we are together.

Epilogue

Jake

Kellyand I are curled up on the sofa, her body tucked into mine, her hand resting on Tiger’s fur as he sprawls across her lap, purring softly. It’s a quiet spring evening, but there’s a wild energy bubbling up inside me. She’s here with me now—fully here, with her things scattered around my place ever since she moved in last month.

I can’t stop looking at her, this woman who fills every corner of my life with light. I reach for her hand, sliding our fingers together, as the reality of having her here, of her truly being mine, sinks in.

I look down at her. “We should do something crazy tomorrow,” I say, the words slipping out without a second thought.

She glances up, a teasing look in her eyes. “Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Eloping,” I say, my heart pounding. I didn’t even know I was going to say it, but as soon as the idea is out there, I’m dead set. “Let’s fly to Vegas, get hitched under the neon lights.”

Suddenly, it’s all I want—to marry her. No fuss, no waiting. Just the two of us, making this forever.

She laughs, shaking her head. “Jake, you can’t be serious! I always imagined this big perfect wedding—flowers, family, an aisle to walk down.” She trails off, studying my face, and then her own smile widens, her eyes lighting up with a mischievous spark. “But you know what? Maybe that’s exactly why we should do it this way. No fuss, no perfection, just us.”

I pull her in closer. “That’s the spirit. Let’s make this thing official, tomorrow.”

We exchange a look, and there’s this unspoken buzz running between us, the kind you only get when you’re about to throw caution to the wind for all the right reasons. She grabs her phone and calls Jenny, before asking to speak to Adele.

“Hey, sweetie,” Kelly says when Adele gets on the phone, locking eyes with me as she talks. “Your dad and I decided to do something crazy. We’re going to get married tomorrow in Vegas. Would you do us the honor of being my maid of honor?”

Adele squeals, her voice barely contained over the phone. “Are you serious? Of course, I will! This is so cool!”

And then, just like that, the plan is in motion.

The next day, we’re on a plane, the three of us grinning with excitement as we head for Vegas. The city lights welcome us as we touch down, bright and bold. They know we’re here to celebrate, and the air is electric.

By the time we make it to the Las Vegas sign, Elvis is waiting for us in his blue sequined suit, and I’m still smiling like an idiot. Kelly’s in a simple white dress we picked up at a little shop on the Strip, her hair loose and wild, looking more beautiful than Icould have ever imagined. Adele stands by her side, practically bouncing.

Elvis clears his throat, strikes a pose, and then, in his classic drawl, begins the ceremony with, “Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today in the presence of love. The kind that makes you wanna rock ‘n’ roll all night long.”

Kelly’s trying not to giggle, and I’m biting back my own laughter as we exchange vows. When Elvis says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” I barely wait for the words to be out of his mouth before pulling her in for a kiss, the kind of kiss that was a lifetime in the making.

When I pull back, her eyes are filled with so much love it nearly takes my breath away. I rest my forehead against hers, just holding her for a moment, treasuring.

As the three of us walk away, a car roars past, and the unmistakable sound ofRolling in the Deepblasts from its speakers, echoing through the warm Vegas afternoon. Adele lets out a little laugh, instantly recognizing the song, and looks between us. Kelly and I freeze, exchanging a look that’s thick with memory and meaning, a bridge to all those years ago when we first loved each other.

Her eyes flash and suddenly, time folds in on itself—past, present, and future all wrapped up in this perfect moment. The song, her smile, Adele’s laughter—it all seems like fate, as though every step led us here. I squeeze her hand, my heart pounding, and I swear, I’ve never felt more alive.

It’s almost impossible to believe that just six months ago, I was looking at my life from the outside, doing my best to be a good dad to Adele, trying to provide for everyone but missing a part of myself I didn’t even realize was gone.

She came back when I needed her most. In every touch, every glance, she reminds me I’m more than I ever believed I could be. She challenges me to be better, to face the parts of myselfI’d long kept buried, and each day with her, I’m learning what it really means tolive.

I make a promise to myself, right then and there, that I’ll spend the rest of my life being the best husband I can be—someone who listens, who stands by her through thick and thin, who never stops showing her how much she means to me. Howperfectshe is in my eyes.

Whatever comes our way, I’ll be right here, giving her my all.

---