The air was thick with the smell of sawdust and fresh paint as Miss Parker stepped into the barn. She had come out looking for Jarod, irritated at first by the length of his absence. JR and Jarod had almost come to blows earlier in the afternoon. The sweet boy she had known in the Centre had become churlish and mouthy as he struggled to assert his independence in the looming shadow of Jarod. He had no outlets apart from the horses, no one his own age to spark off. His hormones were running riot and the Major was concerned about how much time he was spending online.

The moment Jarod lunged for him came after he had caught him checking out Parker as she was bending over picking up toys. He had waited with purpose to stare at her, waiting for the moment Jarod would catch his eye. When he did JR held his index and middle fingers to his nose and made to sniff obscenely. Jarod almost tripped in the reflexive burst he made towards him which caused JR to snigger and move the fingers apart, flipping Jarod the bird as he strolled out the door and off the back porch. Jarod bolted after him and Parker and the Major were pulled out of their chores with all the racket.

Jarod had JR by the front of his shirt and was in the process of lifting him off the ground.

"You little prick!" he growled and the Major came flying down the porch, shoving Jarod off the boy.

"What in the hell are you doing?! Put him down Jarod! Put him down now or I'll put you down!."

"Am I gonna have to let a gun off? Jesus Christ what is wrong with you all?!" Parker this time, her teeth gritted.

Jarod had released JR with a shove and made his way towards the barn. He cast Parker an apologetic look as he walked away and she shrugged a "What the hell" at him.

Now as she stood in the wide-open space her sharp eyes took in the scene before her, the once simple barn now transformed into something entirely different. Walls had been reinforced, fresh wood gleamed in the afternoon light pouring through the windows, and there was furniture—pieces slowly taking shape, rough around the edges, but solid, sturdy. A home.

She was speechless.

Jarod was crouched near one of the beams, his broad back to her as he hammered nails into the frame. The sound echoed through the barn, a rhythmic pulse that kept him focused. His shirt clung to him with sweat, muscles rippling beneath as he worked. There was an air of quiet determination about him, as though every strike of the hammer was him building something more than just a home—it was a future.

For her.

For them.

"Jarod…" Her voice broke the silence, softer than she intended, but the weight of what she was seeing held her in place.

He didn't turn around immediately, just paused, mid-motion, as if the sound of her voice was enough to disrupt his focus. Slowly, he set down the hammer, wiping his hands on his jeans as he stood up and turned to face her. His face was flushed, not just from the heat of his work but from the vulnerability in the moment. He had kept this from her for weeks, maybe longer, and now that she was standing there, seeing it for the first time, he was exposed in a way that words couldn't quite express.

She stepped further into the barn, her hand brushing against one of the wooden beams as she moved closer. "You're building… a house?"

Jarod's lips twitched slightly, but it wasn't exactly a smile. More of a nervous anticipation. "I thought we might need something more permanent. Somewhere safe." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, suddenly unsure of himself, a rare sight.

"For us. For our son."

Parker's throat tightened. The word "us" hung between them, heavy with a meaning they had both danced around for so long. She didn't know what to say, how to process this. It was as if the last few months had all culminated in this—Jarod building a future for them with his bare hands.

Her hand traced the edge of one of the windowsills, her fingers trailing over the rough wood. "You did all of this?" she asked, her voice soft, but there was an edge of disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Jarod ran a hand through his hair, stepping closer to her. "I didn't want to put pressure on you, Melissa. I know how much you've been carrying. I wanted this to be something that felt right when you were ready." His eyes searched hers, trying to gauge her reaction. "I know this is all still new, and I didn't want you to feel...rushed into anything. You've already been rushed into so much all ready...with Michael...with me...us."

She swallowed hard, fighting the emotions that surged to the surface. The idea that he had been doing this quietly, thoughtfully, for her—for their son—it was overwhelming. She had never imagined a life like this, a life that wasn't dictated by The Centre's manipulations or her father's shadowy influence. It had always seemed so far out of reach. But here Jarod was, offering it to her, brick by brick, nail by nail.

"Jarod…" Her voice broke, and she quickly turned away, trying to hide the tears that threatened to spill. She wasn't used to this kind of vulnerability, this raw emotion that felt like it was clawing its way out of her chest. "I don't… I don't know if I deserve this."

His expression softened, and he stepped closer, his hand reaching out to gently touch her arm. "You do," he said quietly, his voice firm but tender. "You've spent your whole life being told who you are, what you're supposed to be, but you deserve this, Parker. You deserve to be free, to have a life that's your own."

Her breath hitched, and she turned to face him, her eyes searching his. "You don't understand… I've done things, Jarod. I'm not like you. I'm not… good. I've been part of the machine that hurt you, that hurt so many people." The guilt she still carried was like a weight pressing on her chest, and saying the words out loud felt like an admission she had been avoiding for years.

Jarod's eyes darkened, his brow furrowing with an intensity she had seen before, but this time, it wasn't directed at her. "You were never the Centre, Parker. Your not your father. You are not Raines" he said, his voice low, filled with conviction. "You were trapped, just like I was. Just like so many others. But you made your own choices. You chose to leave. You chose to fight. For Michael...for me" His hand slid up her arm to cup her face, forcing her to look at him, to see the truth in his words. "You took that turning point."

The weight of his words crashed over her like a wave. She had spent so long running from her past, from her emotions, from the deep connection she had with him, but in this moment, standing in the barn he had transformed for them, she couldn't run anymore.

She had always thought he would say it first.

"I love you Jarod" she whispered almost shyly under the heat of his gaze and he smiled softly, stepping towards her, one hand tangling in her hair, the other pulling her hip until she was flush against him. He pressed his forehead against hers and released a shaky breath, inhaling the essence of her. "I love you too, God I love you, so much. I always have. You know that right? That I always have. I always did. I think from the moment I set eyes on you".

She nodded. She had known.

They kissed languidly until a chesty cough pulled them apart. The Major wasn't looking at them when they pulled apart somewhat, their arms still slipped around each other's waists.

"Nice craftsmanship on the cabinets Jarod" his father complimented.

"Thanks Dad" he said, his eyes tracking his work "I felt it was about time Melissa and I got our own space. I think we've all been getting under each other's feet a bit".

The Major looked between the two of them "Yes. I think you're right. You need your own space, your own privacy to be a family...to be a couple".

"Sorry if we've made you feel uncomfortable in your own home" Parker began pulling away from Jarod and walking towards him "the past few months can't have been easy...having me in the house...being woken up by a screaming baby".

He waved her away almost annoyed "It's been my absolute pleasure to you have you here. To see my Grandson grow. To see Jarod grow as a father.

"It wasn't just the baby screaming that woke us up" JR quipped as he stuck his head around the door and entered the barn "Those walls ain't thick guys"

"Yes but you are" Jarod said, smiling this time as he turned towards the teen "Are you positive you're a genetic replicia of me".

JR ignored him.

For Parker's sake the Major busied himself with checking a light fitting that appeared loose.

"Just remember where to look when you are ready to trade him in for a newer model Melissa" JR said winking at her.

"She's not gonna eat hamburger when she can have steak Junior" Jarod told him as he began to guide Parker towards the loft, he turned her face gently upwards with his fingers "Go and have a look up there" he whispered, lingering close to her mouth.

Intrigued, up she went. He had installed a clawfoot tub in the new bedroom along with a small woodburning stove. She chuckled deeply.

"Get your ass up here Jarod" she called down and JR rolled his eyes.

"Some days I really hate you" the boy whined as he turned on his heel aided by the Major who gripped his shoulder a little too tightly.