Page 52 of Lost Summer
“I know, baby,” she replied softly.
“I can’t picture my life without you,” I confided, my heart racing but my resolve unwavering. “One day we’ll live together, the three of us, and it won’t matter if you see Elena or not.”
Adele let out a breath she didn’t seem to know she was holding, her grip tightening around my fingers as she smiled, the light returning to her eyes.
“I know,” she said, and just like that, we both knew. “I don’t mind seeing Elena, Ted.”
“I know, but she’s vicious, and I don’t want you to be part of any revenge plan she has against me.” I felt cowardly, but with Danny being so young, I wanted to make sure Elena was as far away from Adele as possible.
But I couldn’t wait for her to move in with me.
“What could she do, really?” Adele shrugged, smiling down at Danny. I gazed at her, my heart thumping in my chest.
She looked up at me and smiled, and I knew what to do.
“So, you want to move in with me?”
Adele’s eyes brightened as she nodded, jumping into my arms with an excited squeal. “Yes!”
With the decision made, a sense of relief washed over me. I turned to look at the framed photographs of our times together scattered throughout the flat—Adele smiling on a night out,Danny’s first moments captured in pictures adorning the walls—and I knew our adventure was just beginning.
Adele leaned in, kissing my lips gently, sending shivers down my spine and making the outside world fade into obscurity. That kiss made promises—the kind that told stories of shared dreams, late-night laughter, and silly fights over who got the last Hobnob.
“I love you,” I whispered against her lips, and her smile deepened, illuminating her gentle features with a softness I could hardly resist.
“I love you too, Ted,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper but resonating within me. “I’ll always be here for you and Danny.”
The world was still complicated, but I felt invincible with Adele by my side.
We spent the night mapping out our plans, laughing over dreams and challenges we’d face parenting Danny together as a family. Discussions flowed easily, punctuated with moments of vulnerability, ensuring we both remained anchored during the turbulent waves of life.
As the candlelight flickered, I looked at her, and a memory fluttered to the forefront of my mind—the summer festival years ago, that spark of connection the day we first met. The thrill of adventure flowed through my veins like a long-lost melody. It felt like we were on the brink of creating something far more profound than just memories.
“You promise you won’t let me go this time?” I teased, though seriousness lay beneath my words as she looked into my eyes, waiting for the truth to emerge.
“I promise,” she replied genuinely, her hand tightening around mine as if willing me to believe this was real.
We were starting a new journey, a gradual transformation into something filled with challenges but endless possibilities—a family. As the night continued, I felt gratitude swell within me, a warmth spreading through my chest for everything we had fought for and were meant to conquer together.
It was clear: The best was yet to come.
EPILOGUE
ADELE
“Can you believe we’re back here?” Ted’s voice held a note of disbelief, his hand wrapped securely around mine, our fingers laced together like they were meant to fit all along. Like they did all those years ago.
The sound of the festival—music pulsing, people laughing, the smell of beer and greasy food wafting through the air—hit me as soon as we stepped through the gates. It was as though we’d been transported back to the music festival where we’d first met. Where everything had felt reckless and free, where we’d both been different versions of ourselves, lost in the chaos of youth and carelessness. But now, walking through the same muddy grounds, the nostalgia was richer, deeper, grounded in all we’d been through since then.
“I honestly can’t,” I replied, squeezing his hand as we joined the crowd of festival-goers making their way toward the main stage. My boots squelched in the remnants of yesterday’s rain, but none of it mattered. I felt light—like I could float above the crowd. “It feels so surreal. But in a good way?”
He let out a soft chuckle, his shoulder brushing against mine as we walked side by side. “Definitely surreal. Like some kind of full circle moment.”
I glanced up at him, watching as he took in the scene. The sun was setting, casting an amber glow over everything and spilling orange and pink across the sky. It was the kind of evening that made you feel infinite, like anything was possible.
“So much has changed, and yet...” I trailed off, letting the sentence hang in the air as the band on stage started their next set. The familiar chords of old songs drifted across the field, and for a brief second, I thought I might cry with the weight of how far we’d come.
Ted grinned, pulling me closer, his arm slipping around my waist as we swayed gently to the music. “Yet it feels like this was always supposed to happen,” he finished for me, his voice soft, filled with that easy warmth only he could give me. “Like we had to go through everything to be standing here. Together.”
