Page 125 of The Love Syllabus

He grins. “May my beautiful girlfriend please step a little closer?”

A hush falls over the room. My heart pounds. I step forward, my pulse in my ears, my body suddenly weightless as the noise around me fades. The anticipation is thick, pressing in on all sides, but my focus narrows to the man in front of me. The man who has carried me through this past year with steady hands and an unwavering heart. The man who loves me in ways I never imagined possible.

Vic exhales, his expression soft but intent with his voice dipping lower, meant only for me even though the whole room hangs onto his every word. “A year ago today, I met this woman right here at a floral shop opening. And if I’m being honest, it was lust at first sight.”

Laughter breaks out, but I playfully cover my embarrassed face. “Vic!”

He grins but doesn’t waver. “I mean it. I saw you looking through a window in that pink dress, and my mind just went black. Then, you opened your mouth and threw me completely off my game. I was intrigued.Andannoyed. But then,” he continues, his tone shifting. “I got to know you. And I was captivated. I was drawn in by your light, the way you love people, and the way you move through life with such strength and determination. I never thought I’d experience love again. I didn’t think I deserved it, but Kerry Kind, you’re every dream I never thought I was allowed to have. I don’t want to go on another vacation with my girlfriend,” he says before reaching into his pocket and lowering himself onto one knee. “I want to go on vacation with my fiancée.” His voice is steady, unshaken, filled with a certainty that leaves me breathless. “And I want to spend the rest of my life with you as my wife.”

A sharp gasp echoes through the room, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. My whole world tilts until it narrows down to him—this man on one knee, looking up at me like I hold the universe in my hands. My head is nodding, my tears are falling, and my heart is already his.

“Yes.” My answer’s shaky, nearly swallowed by my emotions, so I say it again, louder, with all the conviction in the world. “Yes, yes, yes, a million times, yes.”

The room explodes in cheers, but all I feel is him. He slips the ring onto my shaking fingers, his arms wrapping around me as he stands, pulls me in, and holds me like he never plans to let go. I clutch at him, burying my face in his shoulder, the warmth of his body, the way he whispers against my hair, “I love you with everything in me, Kerry Kind.”

And I love him back, with everything I have, with everything I am. I love him, and I love the beautiful family he’s given me in Ari and Syd, the way they’ve wrapped themselves around my heart, making me theirs just as much as I’ve made them mine. I love the safety he offers, not just in the way he holds me, but in the way he sees me, in the way he chooses me every single day. I love his unwavering loyalty, his steady protection, the quiet moments of peace that come with knowing I’ll never have to walk through this life alone again.

But what I love most is who I’ve become in all of this. The woman I’ve grown into, the strength I’ve found in myself, the way I now stand a little taller—not just because I am loved, but because I have learned to love myself just as fiercely.

And I love this life—ourlife. A life that’s been messy and unexpected but so full, so good, so worth every twist and turn that led us here.

We’ve learned each other—stumbled, laughed, fought, and fallen. And through it all, we found something rare. Something limitless. Something that doesn’t just survive life’s storms but thrives in them. We never really needed thatlove syllabusbecause, from the very beginning, what we had was real. Magnetic. Right. Meant to be.

But it did help because if I’ve learned anything, it’s that love,reallove, is something you never stop learning. You study it, nurture it, fight for it, and choose it over and over again. For me, I choose Victor Grimes just as he chooses me.

And that’s the kind of lesson worth carrying with me for the rest of my life.

Epilogue

Kerry

ATwo Years Later

warm Mediterranean breeze drifts through our open balcony doors, carrying the rhythmic crash of waves against the shore. From our villa, perched high on the cliffs, the French Riviera stretches out in endless shades of blue. For a fleeting moment, I sink deeper into the sheets, letting myself breathe in the stillness, just before that peace is shattered by something even better.

Chaos.

A stampede of excitement bursts through the doorway.

“Happy Mother’s Day!” Syd and Ari race toward the bed, their faces lit up with giddy anticipation, hands filled with gifts.

Syd proudly holds up a sleek wooden nameplate withPrincipal Momengraved in elegant script, the gold lettering gleaming under the morning light. “For your desk!” She announces proudly. “So even at school, everyone knows who the real boss is.”

Ari grins as she hands me a custom tote bag embroidered withShaping Young Minds & Running a Household. Superhero in Heels. She smirks. “For when you have to carry all your work stuff home but still need to look cute.”

My chest tightens with warmth, my heart nearly overflowing. “You two…” I shake my head, overwhelmed. “These are perfect.”

“And so are you, Mom.” Ari says with a big smile.

I reach out and pull them into a hug. Then, Vic cautiously steps in, his arms balancing a massive wooden breakfast board carefully arranged with a delicious spread.

“Hot food coming through,” He announces, voice laced with concentration.

On the board, two plates sit neatly in the center. One holds fluffy, golden French Toast topped with fresh berries, powdered sugar, and a drizzle of honey. The other features a simple but decadent omelet, creamy goat cheese melting inside with a sprinkle of fresh herbs. A side of crispy potatoes and buttery croissants round out the meal, along with two perfectly poured cappuccinos in delicate white mugs.

Behind him, a tiny pair of feet pitter-patter against the cool marble floor.

Vic Jr., barely a year old, wobbles into the room with his chubby little hands gripping a half-eaten piece of croissant. He lets out a triumphant little grunt, chewing like it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted.

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