Page 43 of A Breeze Over Rosewood Beach
They gathered their notes and stepped into the cold night air, the sound of the ocean waves faintly reaching them from down the street. The café stood quietly behind them, waiting to come alive again in the morning.
As they walked toward their cars, Sally felt lighter than she had in weeks. There was still plenty to sort out and plenty to plan. But for the first time in a long while, she didn’t feel like she was carrying it all alone.
When they reached her car, Sally turned to Oscar. “Thank you. For showing up tonight, and for helping me.”
He shrugged, but the softness in his eyes betrayed how much it meant to him too. “Anytime, Sally. You don’t always have to hold the whole world on your own.”
She smiled, unlocking her door. “I guess I don’t.”
As she drove home, her heart dancing with happiness, Sally realized that she’d been thinking about her life the wrong way. Life wasn’t a race she’d fallen behind in. It wasn’t a list that she’d failed to check off. It was about small, beautiful moments, shared with people who cared, and she’d had plenty of those.
And there’s more coming,she thought, biting her lip as she smiled.I can’t wait to share more moments with Oscar.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Hazel gripped the passenger door handle a little tighter than was necessary as the car rolled to a stop next to their new home. The fixer-upper that she and Jacob had spent hours and hours pouring their sweat and hearts into looked beautiful in the winter sunlight. She had parked in that same driveway a hundred times, and juggled coffee cups and paint samples while climbing the front steps, but in that moment it all felt different.
“I can’t believe we’re moving in,” she said, turning to Jacob with shining eyes. “It’s really ours, and it’s all ready for us.”
“I know!” Jacob grinned at her. “Welcome home, Mrs. Dorsey.”
Hazel’s stomach fluttered as they got out of the car and walked up to the front door. She felt a mix of joy and nervousness, as if she were stepping inside an unknown building for the very first time, knowing that she would spend her future there. She glanced over at Jacob, who gave her a reassuring smile, seeming calm and steady as always.
“She’s ours,” Jacob said softly, squeezing Hazel’s mittened hand.
Hazel exhaled a shaky laugh, her gaze sweeping over the house. The gorgeous picture window they’d installed, the cozygreen shutters, and the smooth new railing on the front porch that Jacob had insisted on sanding himself—it was all finally done.
“Can you believe we actually managed this?” Hazel asked, still marveling at the transformation.
Jacob chuckled, leaning over to kiss her forehead. “I sure can. We can do anything together, wife.”
Hazel’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the word, and she wrapped her arms around him. “I love hearing you call me that, husband.”
“Wow, I love hearing you call me that.”
For a moment they stood there grinning at each other. Then, without warning, he swept her up into his arms, and her surprised laughter filled the quiet afternoon air.
“Jacob!” she squealed, though she didn’t resist. “You don’t have to actually carry me over the threshold.”
He tightened his hold on her, his eyes warm and playful. “It’s tradition. I’m not skipping this part.”
As they crossed into their new home, Hazel felt a rush of gratitude and pride. The walls that had once been covered with peeling wallpaper were now painted in soft, inviting hues that she and Jacob had carefully chosen together. The living room was filled with furniture from both their previous houses, and even though it had simply been set down in a random pattern by the movers, Hazel already felt as though their new space was comfortably and cozily furnished.
Jacob set her down gently in the center of the living room, and then they both stood still, drinking it all in.
“It’s beautiful,” Hazel whispered, her throat tightening unexpectedly.
“It’s ours,” Jacob said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “We made our dream house, Hazel.”
Hazel thought about the long nights they’d spent sprawled on the floor, surrounded by tools and takeout containers. There had been days when she’d felt like it was too much for them to pull off, but Jacob had always found a way to make her laugh, and to make it feel like an adventure instead of a burden. They had done it together, and now, it was all ready for them.
“Samantha’s so excited,” Hazel said, smiling as she thought of her daughter. Samantha was spending the night at her friend Willow’s house so that Hazel and Jacob could have their first night in the house to themselves. “She’s already picked out exactly where her new bookshelf is going.”
Jacob’s eyes lit up. “Of course she has. And we’ll put in those colored lights in her reading nook like she wanted.” Jacob wrapped his arms around Hazel, rocking her back and forth a little. “We’re home,” he said softly.
“You’re my home,” she whispered, and to her surprise, he blinked back a few tears.
“What is it?” she asked.
