“I wasn’t sure if you’d actually come.”
I smiled back. “Well, I figured if you were going to save my life, the least I could do was say thank you.”
He handed me a flash drive. “This has everything you need.
From the moment you walked in.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Really. It means a lot.”
“Want to grab lunch?” he asked, hopeful but casual.
“Not yet,” I said gently.
“Once the divorce is final. Not before.”
I wasn’t ready to open that door again, not until I’d rebuilt the ground beneath my feet. But something about William made me believe that when I was ready, he’d still be there.
He nodded, understanding. “No pressure. I’ll be around.”
Weeks passed.
The divorce moved faster than I expected. With the footage and a few witness statements, it was hard for Peter to dispute anything. Helen tried to stall it, tried to reach out through mutual friends, but I blocked it all out.
I needed peace, not drama.
When it was over, I called William.
We met for lunch, just two old friends talking about life, school, and how things had turned out. He told me he had taken over his family’s restaurant business after his dad passed away, and said the place we were at had been his father’s favorite.
“It’s where I learned to cook,” he said. “Burned more steaks than I care to admit.”
I laughed.
“You always did like food more than math.”
He grinned. “Still true.”
We kept things casual. Friends first.
I wasn’t ready for anything else.
But William was steady and patient. He didn’t push. He listened.
He asked how I was feeling, not what I was doing. He never once made me feel like a burden. When we cooked together, he washed the dishes afterward without being asked.
And when I vented about work, he didn’t change the subject.
He just stayed.
After about ten “just friendly” lunches, we stopped pretending.
Now, we’re engaged.
It’s not flashy. There were no fairy lights or elaborate setups. He asked me over coffee on a rainy Sunday, barefoot in my kitchen while I folded laundry.
He held out a ring and said, “I know this isn’t the way I’m supposed to do it, but I want to build something real with you.
I want a life with you, the kind that’s messy, boring, and beautiful all at once.”
I said yes.
