Epilogue-Nine months later

Sun rays cast a warm glow over the polished mahogany desk where I sit. Papers and reports are neatly stacked, but my mind drifts away from the numbers and figures. Instead, I think about how far we've come. The company, once just concerned about profits, has become a beacon of hope and support for the bayou community. We're building schools, funding local projects and ensuring that the land and its people thrive.

I glance at the photo on my desk: Belle and me, smiling on our wedding day. My heart swells with love and pride. Royce is gone, his negative shadow no longer hanging over us. I was cleared of any charges, ruled to have acted in self-defence.

The office door creaks open, and I look up to see her there. Belle's glowing with the life growing inside her. Her presence fills the room, and I'm in awe of her, just as I was the first time I saw her.

"Hey, stranger," she says with a smile, walking towards me. Her steps are light, but there's a grace and strength in her movements that never ceases to amaze me.

"Hey yourself," I reply, rising from my chair and moving around the desk to meet her. "You look stunning."

She laughs softly, a sound that fills my heart with warmth. "You always say that."

"Because it's always true," I say, wrapping my arms around her and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," she says, her hand resting on her rounded belly. "But your son's been pretty active today. He's a wild one just like his dad."

I press a kiss to her forehead, then her belly, feeling the connection between us grow even stronger. "I can't wait to meet him," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion.

"Me neither but I was thinking about something…," she says, before she frowns and strokes her fingers through my hair. "You've seemed stressed lately…,so how about we spend the weekend away? Just the two of us."

"Bayou?" I grin, the idea instantly lifting my spirits. "You read my mind. I'll never say no to an opportunity to whisk you away." I shrug. "Besides, I miss it."

Belle nods, her smile widening. "I miss it too. It's our secret place."

I pull her close, kissing her deeply. Our lips prickle at the contact. She's everything to me, my world, my anchor. In her, I've found my true home, my true purpose.

We break the kiss, and I rest my forehead against hers. "I love you. More than words can say."

"I love you too," she murmurs.

I smile, my heart full. "I must admit that you were right. Coming back was the right thing to do. It's given me a reason to fight for something bigger than myself."

She cups my face in her hands, her touch gentle and loving. "You've always had that drive in you. You just forgot about it for a while."

Until she reminded me.

We leave the office hand in hand, and fulfilment washes over me. This is where I'm meant to be, with the woman I love, building a life that honors our past and embraces our future. And what better way to celebrate than return to the bayou, to the place where it all began.

The End