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One year later…

G riffith stood by the oak tree near the pond, watching Lilian.

A smile tugged at his lips. She was laughing, her golden hair glinting in the sunlight, its loose waves shifting with the playful breeze.

He was in awe of her, the woman who had brought light and warmth into his life in a way he had never thought possible.

It wasn’t just her beauty that captivated him, though that was undeniable.

It was the way she made him feel—seen, understood, loved in a way that reached deep into the heart of who he was.

Lilian turned toward him, catching his gaze. Her smile softened, that tender look she reserved only for him. Griffith felt a familiar stirring in his chest, the same feeling he’d had the first time he’d seen her, only now it was stronger, deeper.

“Griffith,” she called teasingly, “Come join me in the pond, or will you remain too dignified?”

He chuckled, pushing off from the tree with an easy grace, his eyes alight with mischief. He crossed the space between them with a playful swagger, the warmth of his affection clear in every movement. “Dignified?” he repeated. “You’re the one who is too dignified for a splash of water.”

She raised an eyebrow, a playful challenge dancing in her eyes. “I think it’s you who’s too dignified. Care to prove me wrong?”

Without waiting for his answer, she darted toward the water, laughing as she splashed at him. The sound of her joy filled the air, and Griffith felt his heart lift. How had he ever lived without this lightness? How had he gone so long without knowing the joy of sharing every day with her?

He crossed the distance between them, and before she could splash him again, he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her easily from the water.

Her startled laugh bubbled up to him, the sound as bright as the morning sun.

He couldn’t help but grin at her wide-eyed expression, the warmth of her in his arms grounding him in this perfect, fleeting moment.

“What are you doing?” she asked between gasps of laughter.

“I’m showing you I am not afraid to get a little wet,” Griffith said, his voice low with affection. He pulled her closer, his heart racing.

Lilian’s hands rested lightly on his chest, her fingers tracing the outline of his coat.

The moment felt intimate in a way that words couldn’t quite capture.

Griffith could feel the pulse of her heart, her warmth against him, and he wondered how he had ever gone through life without this connection.

The moment stretched on, the air thick with something unspoken, but there was no fear in his heart anymore. Not with her.

As he gently lowered her back into the water, their gazes locked, and for a long moment, they simply stood there, together. Her gaze fixed on him with that quiet intensity that always made him feel as though she could see into the very core of him.

“You are the greatest gift of my life,” Griffith said, his voice hushed but filled with honesty. “With you, I feel like I can finally breathe.”

Lilian smiled softly, her heart swelling at the depth of his words. “I am yours,” she said. “I always will be.”

Her words were a balm to the scars that had long defined his existence—scars left by years of solitude, by the weight of responsibility that had once felt unbearable.

He had spent so long believing marriage was a duty rather than a gift, but Lilian had rewritten that truth with every whispered promise, every gentle touch.

He had never imagined that love, real love, could be so freeing.

Lilian had opened his heart, and every day with her was a new discovery—a discovery of joy, of peace, and a future he had once only dreamed of.

She leaned into him, resting her forehead against his.

He closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of the earth, the water, and her—a scent that had become his everything.

Griffith glanced at her with a mischievous glint in his eye. “I think we’ve both earned a bit of fun, don’t you?”

Lilian laughed, but before she could react, Griffith scooped her into his arms again, lifting her with ease. She gasped in surprise, her heart racing with excitement and affection. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with a warmth that made her feel like the luckiest woman alive.

“Griffith,” she murmured, a breathless laugh escaping her lips.

“Shh,” he said, lowering her slowly, his lips finding hers in a kiss that spoke of everything he had never said before.

The water around them rippled in response, their surroundings dissolving into a quiet hush as he kissed her, his heart laid bare in every motion.

Lilian melted into the embrace, her fingers curling against the fabric of his coat as warmth flooded through her.

When they finally pulled away, both breathless, Griffith smiled and whispered, “I have never wanted anything more than this. More than you.”

The End