Page 20 of Taught By the Mountain Man

I pull the blankets up around her, sitting down beside her for just a moment, my hand resting on her hair. Star’s here, and that feels like everything. I know, somehow, that this is the beginning of a beautiful forever.

Epilogue

Star

One Year Later

The gym at Heartwood School is alive with laughter and the familiar hum of conversations blending together.

The annual Meet 'n' Mingle is in full swing, marking the start of a new school year. The banners are up, the decorations add a sense of cheer to the room, and I find myself standing at the center of it all, holding River in my arms.

He’s three months old now, his small body curled against me, soft and warm, and I can hardly believe how much my life has changed in such a short amount of time.

Barrow is standing sentinel at my side, never straying far from me. He knows I like it that way. His eyes are on me and River, that quiet gaze grounding me.

I still can’t quite grasp how this is my life now. Not long ago, I was unsure of what I wanted, afraid of opening up.

But then Barrow walked into my life, and everything shifted.

It feels like we’ve always been meant for each other, even though neither of us could have predicted how quickly it would happen.

Principal Bird approaches us, a smile on her face as she reaches out for River. “I’ll take him for a while,” she says. “You two should take the chance to dance.”

I look at Barrow, and I can see the happiness in his eyes as Lillian gently takes River from my arms. I’m glad too — glad that we’re finally able to carve out this moment together, just the two of us, in the midst of Barrow’s new school year and life with a new baby.

Barrow’s been my rock, my constant from that first dance we shared here a year ago. Now we’re husband and wife and have this beautiful little family and beautiful life to cherish.

Barrow envelopes my hand in his larger one and leads me to the dance floor. The lights are soft, the music slow, and everything feels almost dreamlike.

We begin to sway together, the warmth of his hand in mine making the world around us fade into the background. For a brief moment, it’s just us — the quiet hum of the world and the steady beat of the music surrounding us.

“What are you thinking about?” Barrow asks quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

I look up at him, a smile tugging at my lips. “How beautifully everything has changed since the last time we were here.”

He raises an eyebrow at me, his lips curving into a smile of his own. “Yeah?”

I nod. “You’ve taught me so much, Barrow. About trust. About love. About letting someone in — letting someone be part of my life without fear. You’ve shown me what it’s like to be with a man who’s steady, dependable. Someone who’s not going to let me fall.”

My voice catches slightly on the last words, but I don’t hold back. He deserves to know. “I didn’t know I needed that until you,” I finish, voice trembling with emotion.

His arms tighten around me, a warmth that settles in my chest. I feel safe here, like this is exactly where I’m meant to be. With Barrow, I’m not afraid of what comes next.

“I never knew I could be the kind of woman who didn’t have to question everything, or be constantly bracing for the next wound,” I add, my voice soft, almost as if I’m speaking to myself more than to him.

Barrow presses a kiss to the top of my head, his fingers brushing the back of my neck as we continue to move together. “I’m so proud of how much you’ve let yourself learn to trust again, after everything.”

I rest my cheek against his chest, the words from earlier echoing in my mind. I’ve learned how to trust again because ofhim.

And more than that, I trustus— what we’re building together, what we’ve already built.

One year ago, I never could’ve imagined this. I had no idea that the first night I spent with him would lead us to this moment.

But here we are, with our son, and I feel like I’ve finally found something real. Something stable. Something unshakable.

Barrow leans down, his voice low. “I’m glad you’re with me, Star. You and River…you’ve changed my world.”

I smile up at him, my heart swelling in my chest. “Just like you’ve changed mine, Barrow. I thought I had everything figured out, but you’ve shown me that it’s okay to let go. It’s okay to trust.”

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