28. Clementine

Clementine

The faint clatter of dishes and the smell of bacon pulled me from my sleep. I blinked against the morning light, a soft smile tugging at my lips as I stretched beneath the sheets. Leyland was already up, his presence noticeable even when he wasn’t in the room.

Throwing on a robe after brushing my teeth and doing part of my skin care routine, I padded out of the bedroom and found him in the kitchen, his back to me as he whisked eggs. The sight of him, shirtless and relaxed, brought that easiness we used to have back.

“Good morning, superstar,” I teased, leaning against the doorway.

Leyland turned, his brown eyes lighting up when they landed on me.

“Good morning, tiny. Perfect timing, breakfast is almost ready.”

I crossed the room to peek over his shoulder. “Eggs, bacon, and pancakes? Going all out today?”

He gave me a little smirk as he set the whisk down.

“I figured we deserved something special. And I’ve got plans for us today.”

“Plans?” I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What kind of plans?”

“You’ll see,” he said, turning back to flip the bacon. “Just eat and get dressed. Something comfortable for now.”

His excitement was infectious, so I didn’t press him for details. We ate together at the table in a comfortable silence. He looked like himself again—at ease and fully present—and it filled me with a quiet joy I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.

Our first stop was the park. Not just any park, but the one we used to visit in the early days of our relationship, where we’d walked for hours, talking about everything and nothing. As we strolled along the familiar paths, hand in hand, memories flooded back, each one bringing a smile to my face.

“Do you remember when we sat on that bench over there and argued about the best movie soundtracks?” Leyland asked, pointing ahead.

I laughed. “I do. You were so wrong aboutThe Lion Kingnot being the best.”

“Still wrong,” he teased, bumping his shoulder against mine. “But I’ll let you have it today.”

We reached the bench by the pond, and he pulled me to sit beside him. The water glimmered under the mid-morning sun, and the ducks swam lazily, creating tiny ripples in the reflection.

“I missed this,” I said softly, resting my head on his shoulder. “Us, like this. Feels like forever has passed since we’ve been here.”

“Me too…” his hand tightening around mine. “And we’ll keep making moments like this. I promise.”

Our next stop was Jasper’s Café. It had been our go-to spot for years, and walking through the doors felt like coming home. We slid into our usual booth, ordering the same drinks and cinnamon rolls we always had.

“Do you think they know us by now?” Leyland joked as the server left.

“Of course. We’re probably that couple they bet on to keep coming back,” I teased, taking a sip of my Americano. “I think we’ve earned our regulars’ discount.”

He chuckled, resting his chin on his hand as he watched me.

“What do you want our next adventure to be?”

“Adventure?” I tilted my head, considering. “I don’t know. Maybe a trip somewhere new. Or maybe something simple, like a lazy weekend where we don’t leave the house.”

Leyland’s eyes softened. “I’ll take any adventure, as long as it’s with you.”

I didn’t expect our next stop to be his studio. The last time I’d been here, it had felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in with the weight of what I thought was lost. Now, it felt like stepping into his world again, vibrant and alive.

Leyland’s gaze shifted toward me as he closed the door behind us. “I thought it might be time,” he said softly. “You haven’t been here since…”

“Since the accident,” I finished. “I didn’t know if I could. It felt like... like I was stepping into something sacred.”

He walked to me, his hands brushing mine briefly before he gestured toward a large canvas draped with a sheet in the corner. “I’ve been working on something,” he admitted, his tone almost shy. “But it didn’t feel complete until now.”

Curiosity pulled me closer. “Can I see it?”

He nodded, a small, encouraging smile tugging at his lips. With deliberate care, he grabbed the edge of the sheet and pulled it away, revealing a painting that made my breath catch. It was us—subtle, abstract, but unmistakably us. A pair of figures bathed in warm, golden light, standing side by side against a backdrop of soft greens and earthy tones. The light seemed to radiate from between the figures, connecting them like an unspoken bond.

“Leyland,” I murmured, stepping closer. My fingers reached out instinctively, stopping just short of the canvas. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s us,” he said, moving to stand beside me. “Not just the us we are now, but the us we’ve always been. Even before I knew you, it feels like... we existed somewhere. Does that make sense?”

I nodded, my throat tight with emotion. “It does. More than you know.”

We stood there for a moment, letting the painting speak for us. The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of the city beyond the studio’s windows. Then Leyland broke the silence, his voice low and thoughtful.

“This place has always been where I felt most myself,” he said, glancing around. “But it never felt complete until now. I realized it wasn’t the space—it was who I wanted to share it with.”

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them back, turning to face him fully. “You always know what to say to make me feel like I belong,” I whispered. “Here. With you.”

“Because you do.” His hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing gently against my skin. “You always have.”

The tenderness in his voice wrapped around me, and for a moment, the weight of everything we’d been through melted away. I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes and letting myself feel the fullness of this moment—the quiet, undeniable certainty that this was exactly where I was meant to be.

After a while, I opened my eyes and smiled at him. “So, what’s next on this adventure of yours?”

“I want to hear you play,” he said, tipping his head knowingly. “Home is our next and last stop.”

Back home that evening, I gave him exactly what he’d asked for and played the piano for the first time in what felt like ages. Leyland sat nearby, his gaze fixed on me as I let my fingers glide over the keys. The melody was soft, familiar, and comforting, wrapping around us both.

When I finished, he guided me from the piano’s bench over to the couch and pulled me into his lap, his arms wrapping around me like a shield.

“Thank you,” he whispered against my shoulder. “For being you. For being here.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” I said, brushing a kiss against his temple.

The night ended on the patio, a blanket spread out beneath the stars. Leyland handed me a glass of wine, his hand brushing against mine as he settled beside me.

“This feels like the kind of night we’ll look back on years from now,” I said, leaning into his side. “The start of something new.”

“It is,” he replied, pressing a kiss to my hair. “And it’s ours.”

We lay there for hours, our hands intertwined as the stars shimmered above us. In that moment, there was no fear, no uncertainty—just us, exactly as we were meant to be.