BONUS SCENE

Ansel

I watch Noelle from across the kitchen as she dances around, mixing batter for the cookies she’s determined to make every year. The kitchen smells of sugar and vanilla, her laughter drifting through the air as she chats with our son, who’s reaching up on his tiptoes to help her pour a cup of flour.

I don’t know if she realizes how often I catch myself staring at her like this, in awe of what my life has become. It’s been five years since I finally convinced her to leave that hellhole she used to call home. Five years since I managed to make her mine. And yet, every day still feels like a dream—one I never want to wake up from.

“Daddy, are you helping?” our son asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I grin, moving to join them at the counter. “Of course, bud. I’m the taste tester, remember?”

Noelle laughs, shaking her head as she hands me the spoon covered in batter. I make a show of taking a bite, dramatically closing my eyes and pretending to savor every second. Our son giggles, clapping his hands, and Noelle just rolls her eyes, smiling as she focuses on the cookies.

“It’s perfect, as always,” I say, wiping a bit of batter off her nose. “Although I don’t think we need this batch… I could just eat the batter.”

She smacks my hand lightly, laughing. “You’re setting a bad example.”

“Guilty as charged.” I steal another lick of batter, earning a groan from her and a laugh from our son. “Alright, alright, I’ll behave.”

It’s hard to believe that I almost lost the chance to have moments like this with her. For so many years, I watched Noelle from a distance, too afraid to say what I really felt, too worried that I wasn’t good enough for her. When I left for the Marines, I told myself I was doing it to become someone she could count on, someone worthy of her love. But the truth is, I didn’t want to face her, to let her see just how scared I was of loving her and losing her.

Looking back now, I can’t imagine what life would have been like if I hadn’t come back and taken that risk. The years apart made me realize that nothing mattered as much as being with her. And now, every time I see her smile, hear her laugh, or watch her tuck our son in at night, I know that coming back to her was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Once the cookies are in the oven, I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her close. She laughs softly, resting her head against my shoulder, and I tighten my hold, never wanting to let go.

“What’s this for?” she asks, looking up at me with a teasing smile.

“Just needed a reason to hold my girl,” I say, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Can’t believe I get to do this every day.”

“You’re ridiculous,” she says, laughing, but there’s a softness in her eyes that tells me she feels it too.

We stand like that for a while, just the three of us in the kitchen, with the smell of cookies baking and the warmth of the fire crackling in the background. Our son busies himself with the cookie cutters on the counter, happily arranging them in a pattern only he understands. Noelle leans back into me, and I close my eyes, savoring the feel of her in my arms.

After a few minutes, our son tugs on Noelle’s sweater, asking her to help him with the cutters. She goes over, kneeling beside him and showing him how to use them, her patience endless as she guides his little hands. Watching her with him, I feel a surge of pride and love that I can barely put into words. Noelle is a natural mother, and every day, I’m grateful that she’s mine.

Once the cookies are out of the oven and cooling on the counter, we head outside to play in the snow. Our son squeals with delight as he throws snowballs at me, his laughter echoing through the trees. Noelle watches from the porch, bundled up in her favorite scarf and mittens, laughing as she cheers us on.

I scoop up a handful of snow, forming it into a perfect snowball before giving our son a playful wink. “Think you can dodge this one, champ?”

He grins, running in circles as I chase after him, dodging snowballs as he throws them back. By the time we’re done, we’re both out of breath, our cheeks flushed from the cold and our laughter filling the air.

Noelle joins us, brushing the snow off my jacket with a smile. “Looks like you two had fun.”

“Always,” I say, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.

As the sun sets, we head back inside, warming up with mugs of hot cocoa by the fire. Our son snuggles up beside me, his eyes drooping as he fights off sleep. I can tell he’s exhausted from the day’s adventures, and I gently carry him to bed, tucking him in and reading him a bedtime story. By the time I finish, he’s fast asleep, his little face relaxed and peaceful.

I linger in the doorway, watching him for a moment before returning to the living room, where Noelle is curled up on the couch with a book. She looks up as I walk in, setting her book aside and patting the spot beside her.

“Come here,” she says softly, reaching for my hand.

I sit beside her, pulling her into my arms as she rests her head on my chest. For a while, we just sit there in silence, watching the fire dance in the hearth, the warmth and light casting a soft glow over the room.

“This is everything I ever wanted,” I whisper, stroking her hair. “You, him, this life… it’s more than I ever thought I’d have.”

She looks up at me, her eyes filled with love. “I feel the same way. You gave me the courage to dream of something better, Ansel. You’re my everything.”

Hearing her say those words makes my heart ache with gratitude. There was a time when I thought I didn’t deserve her, that she was too good for me. But now, I know that we’re meant to be, that we’ve built a life together that’s stronger than anything I could have imagined.

“Marrying you was the best thing I ever did,” I say, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“And saying yes was the best thing I ever did,” she replies, smiling.

We spend the rest of the evening curled up together, talking about the future and all the things we want to do together as a family. I tell her about my plans to expand the cabin, to add a greenhouse where she can grow her own herbs and flowers, and she tells me about her latest idea for a family vacation, her eyes lighting up as she describes the places she wants to visit with our son.

By the time we head to bed, I feel like the luckiest man in the world, knowing that I get to spend the rest of my life with her by my side.

As we lie in bed, I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her as she snuggles into my chest. Her breathing slows, her body relaxing as she drifts off to sleep, and I close my eyes, feeling a sense of peace and contentment that I never knew was possible.

In that quiet moment, with her in my arms and the soft sounds of the night filling the room, I make a silent promise to her, to our son, to this life we’ve built together. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe, to make them happy, to be the man they deserve.

Noelle stirs in her sleep, shifting closer to me, and I press a gentle kiss to her forehead, my heart overflowing with love.

This is my forever, and I’ll spend every day of it making sure they know just how much they mean to me.