Page 96 of Simply Yours

“I love you,” she breathed, and she knew, without a doubt, that those three words could never fully capture the depth of what she felt for him.

His eyes softened, his grip on her tightening like he never wanted to let go. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long for me to figure it out,” he whispered.

She shook her head, blinking back tears as he brushed his nose against hers, a slow, tender motion that spoke of promises unspoken.

She closed her eyes, letting herself sink into him, into this moment, into the love that had always been there, waiting for them to find their way back to each other.

Finally.

Epilogue

Everyone longs for a ‘happily ever after,’ but do they truly understand what they’re asking for? What it looks like? Because the one truth that has always struck Caitlin deep is that no two love stories are ever the same. Each one is unique, imperfect, messy, and beautiful in its own way—just like today.

Today, Caitlin would tell her husband that she was pregnant. The man she had always loved, always dreamed of, had finally seen her, truly seen her, and now, they had created something together—a life. That was her version of a happily ever after. But today also marked something else—something unexpected.

A shift in Matthew.

Today, she was celebrating her own happily ever after with Jason – and Matthew’s sudden appearance was from a very confused man who just realized that he had a chance at one for himself, too. One that is very different from her own celebration that just got delayed when the front door of the house creaked open.

Matthew walked in like he belonged there, like this home was as much his as Jason’s. He moved with an air of familiarity, collapsing into a chair at the kitchen table, reaching for the carafe, pouring himself coffee without a word. His presence wasn’t unusual, but something about him was different. There was an energy, a heaviness that Caitlin felt before she even saw his face. She glanced at Jason, who merely raised an eyebrow before silently retrieving another plate for his brother.

“Hi,” Caitlin ventured cautiously.

Matthew lifted his gaze to her, and she stilled. His eyes were glossy, burdened with something unspoken, something that squeezed at her heart. “What’s wrong?” she asked, moving to sit beside him, concern overriding everything else.

He hesitated, exhaling sharply before murmuring, “Am I such a horrible person?”

Caitlin’s brows furrowed. “No. Why would you even ask that?”

“I finally got up the nerve to talk to her today… at church,” he admitted.

Jason, who had just sat down, narrowed his eyes. “Wait, wait,wait. You went to church?” He reached out, pressing the back of his hand against his brother’s forehead as if checking for a fever. The old Matthew would have swatted him away, snapped at him, or made some sarcastic remark. But he didn’t move. That alone told Caitlin that whatever had happened today had truly shaken him.

“I’vebeengoing,” Matthew confessed quietly. “I think… I think I need to believe in something. That somebody cares.” He swallowed, his voice raw. “Because…”

“Oh, Matthew.” Caitlin’s heart clenched, her voice soft with understanding. “We all care.”

Matthew scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Not you, ya dork.”

Ah, there it was. A glimmer of the Matthew they knew, the one with the biting humor and perpetual exasperation at sincere emotions.

“Then why do you think no one does?” Caitlin pressed gently.

“Because she told me that I didn’t.” His voice was flat, defeated.

Caitlin’s breath hitched. “You actually talked to her?”

Jason threw his hands in the air. “Okay, I’m definitely missing something here.”

“I did,” Matthew admitted, ignoring his brother. “And I’m confused.”

Jason muttered, “Heck, I’m confused too.”

Caitlin shot him a warning glance before focusing back on Matthew. This wasn’t a moment for jokes. This was a moment where he needed guidance and support—not teasing. “Matthew, if she thinks you don’t care, maybe you need to show her that you do in a different way. Sometimes it’s about perspective.”

“What do you mean?” Matthew asked, finally meeting her gaze.

“Jason never noticed me until he was ready. And that took all of you lightening his burdens, making him realize that life was passing him by. Maybe you need to change how you see things—from your point of view… and hers.”

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