Epilogue
The afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the rolling hills of the vineyard, the air filled with the scent of blooming lavender and ripening grapes. Olivia stood on the back porch of their homestead, one hand resting on the gentle curve of her belly. She watched as Fitz moved among the rows, his laughter echoing in the open air as he spoke to one of the workers. They'd finally retired from city life for country life.
She smiled, her heart swelling with a happiness she had never imagined she could have. They had found their way back to each other after everything, but it hadn't been easy. It took months of difficult conversations, of stripping back the layers of hurt and mistrust that had built up between them over the years. They had faced their flaws head-on, determined not to repeat the mistakes that had nearly destroyed them before.
Fitz had checked into rehab after that disastrous wedding day, finally confronting the demons that had haunted him since childhood. Olivia, in turn, had gone back to therapy, learning to set boundaries—not just with Fitz, but with herself. They took things slowly, learning how to communicate without the toxic undercurrent that had once defined their relationship.
And as they worked through their past, they started building a future—one built on honesty and the kind of love that had never really faded, even when they'd tried to let each other go.
"Hey, you." Fitz's voice cut through her thoughts, and she turned to see him walking up the porch steps, a grin on his face that still made her heart skip a beat. He wrapped an arm around her, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "You're supposed to be resting, remember?"
She rolled her eyes, leaning into him. "I'm pregnant, not made of glass," she teased, but her hand drifted instinctively to her belly, where their baby—a little girl, they'd found out—kicked gently in response.
He knelt in front of her, placing both hands on her stomach and pressing his lips to the fabric of her dress. "Hey, little one," he murmured, his voice filled with wonder. "You're keeping your mama busy, huh?"
Olivia laughed softly, threading her fingers through his hair. "She's definitely got your energy. Always moving around."
Fitz looked up at her, his expression serious for a moment. "You know, I think about how close I came to losing you every day. I'm never taking this—us—for granted, Livvie." These days he was constant with his reassurance. Seeing her almost marrying another man clicked something inside of him. She always knew he loved her but these days his love consumed her in the best possible way and she couldn't wait to see him love their little girl as fiercely.
She cupped his face in her hands, the love she felt for him making her chest ache because it barely could contain it. "We both made mistakes, Fitz. But we grew up. We found our way back to each other. That's what matters." And that is what she reminded herself of whenever she felt guilty of breaking Michael's heart. She was finally happy to hear through a mutual friend that he had moved on with someone who was more his speed. It was selfish what she did but marrying him would've been a bigger disaster.
Fitz stood, pulling her into his arms, and they swayed gently on the porch, the sun warming their skin. "Remember our vows?" he asked softly, his lips brushing against her ear.
Olivia nodded, her eyes misting over with emotion. "Yeah. 'No more lies, no more running away. Only love. Always.'"
Fitz smiled, pressing a kiss to her lips, slow and tender. "Only love. Always."
As Fitz wrapped his arms around her, Olivia could feel the love radiating between them, as real and tangible as the warmth of the sun on her skin. So much had changed over the years, and yet in moments like this, she was reminded of the wild, messy start to their love—a love that had survived so much, even themselves.
Fitz broke the silence, his voice low and reflective. "You remember the first time we met? God, I thought I was the shit. A junior, running things at every party, thinking no one could knock me down."
Olivia laughed, leaning her head against his chest. "Oh, I remember," she said, smirking. "You were arrogant and impossible, swaggering around like the world owed you something. I was convinced you were the biggest jerk on campus."
He grinned, pulling her closer. "Yeah, well, it didn't take long for you to prove me wrong. You were this bright-eyed freshman with a quick mouth and zero patience for my crap. I couldn't believe how much you got under my skin."
"You were insufferable," she teased, her fingers tracing gentle patterns on his back. "But there was something about you that drew me in. Like, no matter how many times I told myself to stay away, I just couldn't."
They fell silent for a moment, both lost in memories of their college days. It had been chaotic, their love consuming and turbulent. They had clashed at every turn, Fitz's arrogance meeting Olivia's fire, each of them pushing the other to the brink. But it was never boring. It was intense and passionate and, ultimately, unsustainable.
"Do you remember that summer we tried living together?" she asked, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "You left all your dirty laundry piled in the corner of the room, and you'd blast music at two in the morning like you were the only person who existed."
Fitz winced, chuckling. "I don't know how you put up with me. I thought that was the summer I'd finally break you down, but instead, you broke me. I didn't know what I was doing. I had all this love for you, but I didn't know how to treat you right."
Olivia met his gaze, her heart aching with the memory of it. "We both messed up, Fitz. I was so scared of getting hurt that I kept my guard up, and it just made things worse. I would test you, push you to see if you'd break." She shook her head, guilt flickering across her face. "I didn't know how to let someone in. Not fully."
Fitz's hands found hers, squeezing gently. "And then, I'd mess things up even worse. Drinking, getting into fights, refusing to let go of my pride long enough to apologize." He looked down, his voice softening. "I think back on all those nights we'd scream at each other, and I wonder how we ever found our way out of that."
She tilted his chin up, her gaze steady. "Because it was real, Fitz. Even when we were our worst, it was real. I didn't know what love was supposed to look like back then. But with you, I felt like I could fly and crash all at once. You were… you are it for me. No one else has ever made me feel that way."
His face softened, and he pulled her close, their foreheads touching. "I was terrified, Livvie. Terrified that I'd never be enough for you. That you'd wake up one day and realize you deserved better." He closed his eyes, his voice barely a whisper. "After you left -"
"Which time?" Olivia joked and they both chuckled because they had many breakups.
Fitz continued, " Every time but especially the last time. I hit rock bottom. And I needed it. That dark space forced me to confront who I was, to start dealing with all that crap I was too afraid to face."
She brushed a hand along his cheek, her thumb tracing the curve of his jaw. "Going back to therapy wasn't easy for me, either. I hated opening up, hated having to look at myself and all the ways I sabotaged us. But you—we were worth it. It took losing you to see that."
Fitz kissed her knuckles, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "When I saw you at the wedding, with that ring on your finger… God, Liv, it broke me. But it woke me up too. I knew then that if I ever got another chance with you, I'd do anything to make it right. I'd be the man you deserve."
Olivia laughed softly, tears prickling at her eyes. "And now look at us. Retired from city life, running this vineyard, and about to become parents."
Fitz placed a gentle hand over her belly, feeling the tiny flutter of their daughter beneath his palm. "Salome," he said softly, testing the name. "Our little peace." He looked up, his gaze brimming with emotion. "You know, I think she saved us, in a way. She made us see that we couldn't keep living in the past. We needed to let go of all that pain and learn to love each other the way we were meant to."
Olivia rested her hand over his, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat beneath her palm. "We grew up, Fitz. We stopped blaming each other and started fighting for each other instead."
He nodded, his voice choked with emotion. "I'll never stop fighting for us, Liv. For you, for Salome, for this life, we're building together. You're my family. You always have been."
The vineyard stretched out before them, a symbol of the life they had built together—one that was messy and imperfect, but real. They had left behind the chaos of their younger years, finding peace in the simple things—mornings spent laughing over coffee, nights curled up together on the porch, and the excitement of the new life they were bringing into the world.
And in a few short weeks, their daughter would be born into a home filled with the kind of love that had once seemed impossible for them. A love that had been tested, broken, and rebuilt, stronger than ever before.
It wasn't the fairytale ending she had once imagined. It was better—because it was real, and it was theirs. As she stood there, wrapped in the arms of the man she had never truly stopped loving, she knew she wouldn't trade a single moment of the journey that had brought them to this place.
They had been through hell and back, but they had found their way to happiness. And this time, they weren't letting go.
AN: This concludes the four-part story. :) Don't forget to leave a review!
