A.N. Please, while reading this chapter be careful to pay attention on how the words 'HE' and 'HIM' are written, because it does matter if it's he or he, him or him.
Nothing goes as planned
Everything will break
People say goodbye
In their own special way
All that you rely on
And all that you can fake
Will leave you in the morning
But find you in the day
That night she had the house for herself since she moved in 1 year ago. So she decided to pamper herself – bubble bath, nice meal, and then a drink with some music in the living room. She was now, 14 years later, sitting on that same couch they had sat on back when they had dropped the bomb. Who would've thought?
She never thought life would turn that way – her life, her friends' lives… Everything.
She never thought she'd get married. Sure, she buried that locket to be her 'something old' one day, but she never believed that day would come. Not really. In the end, she had said 'yes' three times to three different men, got married twice.
She never thought she'd even consider having kids. Then she found out she was infertile and then, when children weren't an option anymore, she found herself picturing them: a boy with his dad's blonde hair and bright smile and always present suit, and a girl with her mom's long wavy brown hair and slender figure. On top of that, after she had finally made peace with never having kids, she found herself ready to give up everything to be the mother of a certain beautiful baby girl. Then she became the definitely-not-evil stepmother of two teenagers.
She never thought she'd end up here. Married to him, living in this house. Most of her life she thought she'd end up alone. Then at some point she did think she wanted to end up with him – but then of course she realized it was a mistake. Then she thought she'd end up with him. Actually, she was sure about that, despite the fears and insecurities she had at some points. Then they fell apart and she felt her whole life was falling apart. And it was. After that of course she started thinking of him again, longing for him, because he had always been there for her in all those years, because he had always loved her, because he was making her feel safe. But he by then had found the perfect girl and had an amazing daughter. So she gave up on the idea of him. She watched him get married and she realized she was so happy for him and also – she was absolutely free of him. And then his eyes met hers and she was back to seven years ago on that rooftop while he was holding her. But soon her hopes were ripped apart again and she was sure she was going to end up alone. And then, 18 months ago, after years of solitude, work, tragedies, getting dogs again, he showed up holding that amazing, stupid, romantic, idiot thing, smiling at her, wearing the same clothes as that first night. And she laughed. Because it was just so surprising, so silly, so romantic, so him. And she loved him for that. She did. Maybe not in the right way, but she did love him, and she knew it was now ok to do this. With him. The rest happened as expected – taking it slow at first, then moving in, proposal, wedding and the married life.
It was not what she expected but she was content.
The sound of her ringtone was what took her from the trance of her own thoughts.
"Hello."
"Hey, Robin."
