Page 89 of Willow Vale

I followed River out onto the porch to find that it had in fact started snowing. Thick snowflakes floated down from the sky onto the gravel driveway.

“Come on! He’s over here!” River yelled as he ran down the steps, ignoring my warning to slow down, before he took off around the house where the stables were just down the gravel path that also led to the barn.

“Slow down or you’ll fall!” I said as I walk faster but didn’t see him anywhere near the stables. “River? Where’d you go?”

I frowned when I didn’t see Travis or River anywhere insight. The snow kept falling, decorating my hair before melting away as I turned to go see if they’d somehow wandered back to the front of the house. Only to stop in my tracks when I found Travis standing a few feet away from me. His back to the back porch of the house. His hands were in the pocket of his Carhartt jacket, and there was a smile on his lips as he stood there.

“What’s going on?” I laughed as I walk up to him. He kissed me softly before running his hands over my cheeks, probably flushed from the cold. “Where’s River?”

“He told me to tell you something quickly before we both freeze out here.”

I frown, “Tell me what?”

He’s quiet for a second before saying, “If you told me a year ago that I’d be standing here on Silver Hill with you again, I’m not sure I would have believed you. You’ve grown so much and pursued everything you set your mind on doing better than I ever could have imagined. I’m so proud of the woman and the mother you have become, Delilah.”

Feeling shy and a little too vulnerable hearing his kind words, I shook my head and more snowflakes fell between us.

Travis took my cold hands in his warm ones.

“I love you, Delilah. I love River. You’ve both become irreplaceable parts of my life I can’t possibly imagine living without now.” my breath caught in my throat as he took a step back and dropped to one knee, pulling out a little velvet blue box with an oval-shaped diamond sitting atop a simple silver band. Tears instantly flood my eyes, and my heart soared higher than it ever had before. Travis stared into them as he said, “Delilah, will you marry me?”

I dropped to my knees and stared right at the man whohad given me the world and then some. A soft sob escaped me as I nodded through my tears. “Yes.”

He breathed out a shaky breath and slid the ring onto my finger before I launched myself toward him. We both crashed to the snow that had gathered all around us as we laughed.

“You said yes!” River ran straight for us from the porch and threw himself into our messy, teary huddle. “I knew you’d say yes. Didn’t I tell you, Travis? Now we can be a family and be together forever like I told you!”

“You did tell me.” Travis kissed his round cheeks before pulling us both into a hug before everyone decided to join us. “Love you, little man.”

Desmond and Desi were both crying, and the latter had a camera the size of my head. The little schemer knew the entire time, hadn’t she? Amelia was misty eyed as she looked at the engagement ring on my finger and I just knew she had given it to Travis, which meant the world to me. The twins were the last ones to approach, Finn keeping an arm out for Wren in case she slipped, but she ignored his fussing as she walked over and hugged me tight.

“I guess I can finally call you ‘sis’now. No take backs,” she said to me, and I let out a watery laugh.

There was so much I wish I could take back if only to paint a prettier, cleaner picture. But that isn’t real life, and maybe in the end everything was as it was meant to be. I knew I’d never get those four years back that I missed out on with Travis. I’d start making up for it by creating new memories though. Good ones full of love and life with the man who stole my heart from the very first day we met. For a long time, I used to think Willow Vale was a place full of memories of sorrow and hardship.

Now I see it as a second chance to start over again.

Because this life with River and Travis—us—it was everything I ever could have asked for. It was home.

Epilogue

TRAVIS

One Year Later

“You ready, little man?”I asked River as I knelt in front of him, adjusting the little black tie he somehow managed to untie by running around the room while I finished getting ready myself.

“Yeah, I’m ready!” River was practically jumping in place, a big toothy smile on his face and freckles dusted across his cheeks. Never failing to remind me of Delilah. I managed to convince him to let me comb his hair back, but little did I know that the biggest obstacle would be tying this damn tie.

Dad and Finn left the room not too long ago, giving us some space before we had to head out. Because in less than an hour, I was marrying my best friend. Somehow, my brain wasn’t quite computing that information whereas my heart wouldn’t stop jumping around like a jackrabbit in my chest. I was one big ball of nervous energy, to say the least.

“Alright then, you’re all set.” I smiled when I finished retying his tie.

River placed his hand on the bow and scrunched his nose. “Do I have to wear it all day?”

I grinned. “Just until the end of the ceremony, okay? Then you can take it off and run free.”

I got started on tying my own tie, facing the mirror while I concentrated. River came up to me after a bit and leaned against my leg, his curious eyes catching mine in the mirror. His slicked back hair fell into neat curls at the nape of his neck, and I just knew Delilah would lose it the moment she caught sight of him. He was too damn cute. I couldn’t even bring myself to imagine a day when he wouldn’t be the sweet little kid who always ran to me the moment I came home.

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