Page 12 of Through The Rain
“So the road’s open.”
It wasn’t a question, so he didn’t bother nodding. They’d both known this moment would come—that they’d have to leave the cabin—and each other—and either dedicate themselves to putting their marriage back together or return to the separate lives they’d been living.
“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life without you,” she said softly, and it felt as if the sun was finally shining after months of rain, chasing away the chill that had settled deep in his bones when she’d told him they were over.
“I’ve spent the last three months feeling like I’m adrift in a small boat in a stormy ocean, but the one thing that has always—and will always—anchor me is my love for you,” he said as he moved closer to her, and her lips quirked into a smile. He took her hand. “Emily Ferguson, I love you. Will you do me the honor of letting me be your husband again?”
“Yes. Yes, I want you to be my husband. And I want to be your wife, and I swear that for the rest of our lives, I’ll make sure you know that you walking through the door is the best part of my day.”
“And I swear I’ll share my feelings with you. And if one of us feels like the well’s getting low, we’ll talk about it.”
Tears were shimmering in her eyes, but when she smiled, he could see a spark of amusement. “And?”
“And I will never ask about changing cell phone plans again.” When she gave him a skeptical side-eye, he laughed. “Maybe twice a year.”
When she laughed, he pulled her close and cupped her cheek in his hand. Their gazes locked and he saw everything he was feeling reflected in her eyes—joy, relief, hope and love.
Then Scott kissed his wife, and he felt the love and gratitude pouring into him—filling him as though his soul was an actual well. He slid his hand around to cup her neck before sliding his fingers into her hair.
She had her hands on his back, her entire body pressed against his, and Scott was torn between wanting to head home so he could restart the only life he’d ever wanted to live, and dragging Emily back into the cabin to get naked.
When the kiss broke off, she rested her head against his chest, facing the lake. “You know, not coming here because the kids are older and busy and can’t come was a mistake. We should be coming here because they can’t come.”
“We’re going to visit a lot more often,” he promised, and he meant it. Being together again, they’d fall back into some old habits and comfortable routines, but they were going to make connecting with each other a priority from now on. “But right now, let’s go home so I can put those rings back on your finger where they belong.”
EPILOGUE
Labor Day Weekend
* * *
“Is it wrong of me to want our kids to leave?” Scott whispered against Emily’s ear, making her shiver in anticipation of being alone with her husband. Just as soon as Janie and Dylan got tired of trying to push each other out of the inflatable kayaks Scott had bought on a whim and realized what time it was, they’d probably take off. They both had to work the next day and neither of them wanted to sleep in a cot after trying it for the Fourth of July weekend, so they’d made a day trip.
“You don’t have to whisper, you know,” she said. “They can’t hear you while they’re out on the lake.”
“I know,” he responded, still in a low voice. “I just like the way you shiver when I do it.”
Not much longer, she thought. They might throw a few burgers on the grill because they wouldn’t want the kids to head home hungry, but that wouldn’t take long. She loved their company and the family togetherness, but the time she and Scott spent at the lake was precious to them now, and they guarded it pretty fiercely.
They’d come to the cabin every other weekend since the storm that saved their marriage, and they swam and kayaked. They sat on the porch and read or talked quietly. They did puzzles, and they made love.
They’d found a marriage counselor, of course, because one weekend trapped in a cabin by a spring storm wasn’t going to fix years of poor communication and misunderstandings. She’d been worried Scott would change his mind once they left camp, but he’d remained open to the idea of therapy and they’d both left their first session grateful and optimistic. He’d started solo sessions shortly after. Months later, they still went every other week, and their marriage had never been stronger.
“Do you think we should build an addition?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“On the cabin? Are we allowed to do that?”
He nodded, because of course he would have checked with the town hall before bringing it up. “I can put an addition on it fairly easily, with a decent bedroom for us and a small bedroom next to it. And we’d still have the loft. And we could invest in a good fold-out sofa.”
She chuckled, nudging him with her shoulder. “What’s brought this on?”
“Right now the kids are in the phase of life where they have stuff to do that’s more fun than hanging out with their parents. But once they’re settled and working hard, they’ll appreciate time up here. And eventually they’ll have partners and maybe we’ll have grandkids.”
Tears prickled when she imagined a big, loud, happy family here at their cabin. “That sounds wonderful.”
“It does.” He nudged her back. “But when that happens, I really want us to have a bedroom door.”
Her laughter echoed across the water, and Dylan and Janie both looked in their direction. She knew they’d smile at the sound. The reconciliation had pleased them both, but they’d accepted it cautiously at first. But now they’d bounced back as if their parents had never separated.
“I like the idea. This is going to be our happy place for the rest of our lives,” she said.
“You’re my happy place.” Scott grinned when she blushed. He rarely missed an opportunity to make her feel cherished nowadays, and she liked it very much.
“I love you so much,” she whispered.
“I love you, too.” He kissed her, and sighed, though he had a wicked gleam in his eyes that promised pleasure in her near future. “Do you think we’ll have to feed them before they leave?”
