Page 36 of Brought to Light

“Hey baby. You okay?”

I attempted a smile but my emotions were still too raw. “Rough day,” I said simply, my voice thick.

He turned me in his arms, his eyes searching my face. “Anything I can do to help?”

I shook my head, not trusting my voice. Sawyer’s presence soothed me, his solid strength and care evident.

“It’s okay,” he murmured, drawing me to him. I sank against his chest, fresh tears falling onto his shirt. He didn’t seem to mind, just held me close and let me cry.

We stood like that for several minutes, no words needed. Sawyer’s embrace and the rhythmic stroke of his hand down my back grounded me. Finally I drew a shaky breath and lifted my head.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I’m sorry, I just...”

Sawyer shook his head, brushing a strand of hair from my face with a tender hand. “You don’t need to explain. I’ve got you.” His eyes radiated sincerity and care.

My heart swelled. I might still have hard days, but I wasn’t alone. I smiled gratefully at Sawyer. His presence and understanding meant more than he knew.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked gently.

I sighed, moving to sit on the couch. Sawyer sat beside me, angled to face me. His knee brushed mine in a reassuring way.

“It’s just...everything with the animal hospital,” I began hesitantly. “Rough case today, and all the other stuff weighing on me. The pressure of it all.”

Sawyer nodded, his eyes intent on mine. “I can imagine. You’re dealing with a lot.”

My eyes welled up again and I looked down. “I keep waiting for things to be...easy. Is that dumb?”

Sawyer touched my chin, tilting my face back up to meet his gaze. “Not at all. I think deep down, that’s what we all want. To do what fulfills us, to be in love,” he said, tapping my heart with his finger. “But we want the ease of it all working out. And that’s not what life is. However,” he said, taking my hand in his and kissing the back of it, “we are pretty fucking lucky that we found each other. And I don’t care how complicated life is, I’m not leaving your side.”

“God, you’re perfect.” I gave a watery smile, comforted by his words. We sat in contemplative silence for a moment. “What about you?” I asked gently. “You okay? I feel like I’m always the one unloading on you.”

Sawyer chuckled. “Happy to lend an ear anytime. But yeah, I guess I could open up a bit more...” He trailed off, looking thoughtful. “It’s just...I don’t know. Sometimes I just feel stuck, you know? Like I’m choosing the comfortable path and I’ll end up bartending at The Anchorage forever.” He gave a rueful half-smile.

I nodded in understanding, encouraging him to continue.

“Part of me wants more, I guess. Wants to see what else is out there. But then another part worries I won’t find anything better than what I have there.” He met my eyes again. “Does that make sense?”

“It makes perfect sense,” I said gently. I laid my hand over his and gave it a squeeze. “You’re far too talented to be ‘stuck’ there forever. You could do anything you put your mind to.”

Sawyer smiled, turning his hand to twine his fingers with mine. “Thanks, Doc. That really means a lot coming from you.”

Sawyer held my hand a moment longer, his thumb gently stroking over my knuckles. I could feel the calluses on his fingers from years of working behind the bar, but his touch was soft.

“You know, I never pictured myself settling down in a small town,” he said quietly. “Always thought I’d end up in some big city, getting lost in the crowds.”

He gazed out the window, where the dark ocean stretched to the even darker horizon.

“But now that I’m here...I don’t know. There’s something nice about it. Friendly faces at the bar, the same streets to walk every day. And this view ain’t half bad either.”

He turned back to me with a crooked smile. I couldn’t help but smile back, feeling that now-familiar flutter in my chest when he looked at me that way.

“What about you?” he asked. “You see yourself staying here?”

“Yes,” I answered quickly. So quickly it caused us both to laugh. “I think I’ve been looking for a place like this my whole life. Somewhere to settle down, where people know each other and folks pull together when someone’s having a hard time. It’s comforting.”

Sawyer gave my hand one more gentle squeeze before letting it go.

“Well, I’m glad this town brought us together, at least,” he said softly.

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