Chapter 70

CHAPTER 70

MARLOW

L ater that afternoon, I found myself in the kitchen, feeding Shoop while enjoying the tranquility of the moment. Mom had gone across the street to deliver some of the cookie platters we made. Dad was in an all-out war with the icicle lights that refused to light up even though he had just taken them out of the box. Poor Spencer was out there trying to help him.

Shoop's antlers had slipped to one side, giving him a lopsided, comical appearance. I laughed softly, adjusting them back in place. "You're such a handsome boy, Shoop. How do you get cuter?"

He looked unimpressed and flopped on the floor as if he was too tired to keep sitting. I went back to the counter stacked high with the cookie platters and snatched one of the extra pieces of fudge still left in the pan. I leaned against the counter, lost in thought. Rhett hobbled in, his boot making a dull thud against the floor.

"Hey, sis," he said, his tone unusually serious. "Can we talk?"

I nodded, popped the last of the fudge in my mouth, and wiped my hands on a dish towel. We moved to the table, sitting across from each other. The weight of unspoken words hung between us. I knew he cleared things with Spencer, which wasn't a surprise. I was the one he was angry with. He assumed I was chasing away all of his friends. I got it, but it wasn't the case.

Rhett cleared his throat, his eyes fixed on the table. "I've been doing a lot of thinking," he began. "I owe you an apology, Marlow. For all my screw-ups, for defending Dakota when I shouldn't have, for not listening to you—for not picking you."

My heart tightened at his words. It wasn't easy for Rhett to admit he was wrong, especially about something so personal. "Rhett, I?—"

He held up a hand, stopping me. "No, let me finish. Dakota didn't deserve your kindness, your patience, or your forgiveness. I was blinded by our history, by what I thought was loyalty. But I see now that real loyalty should have been to you. Even if Dakota had been a good guy, I should have supported you first."

Tears welled up in my eyes. His words touched a part of me I hadn't realized needed healing. "Thank you," I whispered, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand. "I've missed you, Rhett."

He squeezed back, his grip firm and reassuring. "I've missed you too, Marlow. And I promise, no more defending assholes."

We both laughed, the tension breaking. He got to his feet. I stood as well. Rhett pulled me into a hug, and I held on tight, grateful to have my brother back. He was my oldest friend. He had been my best friend for so long. He was the person that knew me the best. Our childhood had been spent sharing secrets and learning about the world. He was the one person I knew I could always count on. I had Spencer now, but Rhett would always be my first protector.

As we pulled apart, a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. "So, Spencer, huh? My old friend is completely wrapped around your pinky finger."

I laughed, rolling my eyes. "Oh, please."

"No, I'm serious," he insisted. "I've known the guy almost my whole life, and the Spencer who showed up today and talked to me earlier? That's the best version of him I've ever seen. I'm happy for you two. You both deserve to be happy, and I won't stand in your way."

"Thanks, Rhett. That means a lot."

He chuckled. "Mom would kill me if I tried, anyway. She's been talking about you two for weeks now. Be warned. The word ‘grandbabies' has come up about a thousand times. She is all in on this relationship. She tolerated Dakota, but she loves Spencer. He's like a son to her. A piece of paper making it official would be the best gift she could ever get."

Surprisingly, the thought didn't scare me. Once, I believed I was ready for a family, but now I knew that had been a mirage, a societal expectation. Now, with Spencer, I genuinely wanted it. I wanted to make Spencer a father, to step into that new chapter of my life. Motherhood sounded like the most incredible adventure yet, especially with Spencer at my side.

"I guess I'll have to brace myself for those conversations," I said, smiling.

Rhett grinned. "And when the time comes, I'll be the best ‘Funcle' you've ever seen. Fun uncle, get it?"

"I get it." I laughed, feeling a warm glow of affection for my brother. "And I'm sure you will be."

"And if you get married and have a couple of babies, it will take the pressure off me." He grinned. "They are convinced I have to find a wife tomorrow. I'm not sure what the rush is, but they are hounding me to get hooked up."

"You should think about it," I said. "It's not so bad being in love."

He groaned. "No, thank you."

"You'll never know until you try."

Rhett chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. Let's not rush things. For now, I'll let you be the one fulfilling Mom and Dad's dreams of a wedding and babies."

"Deal," I said, grinning at him.

As he walked away, I sat down at the kitchen table and let out a long breath. The knot in my stomach had unwound. Rhett and I were back on good terms. We'd cleared things up. He was happy for me and Spencer.

Spencer came into the kitchen a few minutes later. "You're alive," I teased. "I've been waiting to take you to urgent care after falling off the ladder."

He laughed, pulling off his hat. "Nope, but I found the problem. The lights are fixed. Your dad is happy. Christmas is back on."

"Good."

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking around the kitchen. I saw the moment his eyes spotted the treats that were set aside for us.

"Go ahead," I teased. "Those are fair game."

He immediately went to grab a couple of cookies and a piece of fudge.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked him. "Or are you cold?"

"No, let's go," he said.

I quickly pulled on my coat, gloves, and hat. The air was crisp and cold, our breath forming little clouds in front of us as we walked hand in hand. The ground was blanketed with fresh snow, the kind that crunched underfoot. As we walked, a sense of peace settled over me. The neighborhood had gone all out, all the homeowners competing with each other to be the most festive.

"I talked to Rhett," I said.

"Oh? How did that go?" Spencer asked. "Is he still in one piece?"

"It went well," I replied, grinning. "He apologized, and we cleared the air. I think we're going to be okay."

"That's great," Spencer said, relief evident in his voice. "I'm glad."

"He says Mom and Dad are on board with things," I said. "In fact, they've been pressuring him a bit to make things right."

"I'm glad you guys talked," he said. "I think Rhett's just worried about you. He knows I haven't been a great catch for any woman. I'm glad he was looking out for you."

"That's one way to put it," I replied, grinning up at him. "He said he's never seen you in a better place. He said you're the best version of yourself he's ever seen."

He nodded as we walked. "I owe a lot of that to you, you know. Not a lot. All of it. I feel like I've been trapped in this ugly, sunless box most of my life. I can see out and watch everyone carrying on with their lives, but I was trapped. You came in and shattered that box. Now, I'm walking in the sun."

Gratefully, I squeezed his hand. His progress was something we'd worked hard on together. In my heart, I knew that he was the person with whom I wanted to build my life.

"Rhett also mentioned something about Mom wanting grandkids," I teased. "I told him he might want to slow down a bit."

"It's not totally out of the question, right?"

I looked up with surprise. I half-expected to see he was joking, but nope. He was serious. The thought sent tendrils of warmth flooding through me. I couldn't believe he was actually thinking that. I was as well. Could this really be that relationship I always wanted but had given up on after my divorce?

We walked in silence for a few more minutes, the only sound the crunch of snow and the distant call of birds. It started to snow once again, creating the epitome of a winter wonderland. I suddenly had the urge to lighten the mood. I bent down, scooped up a handful of snow, and formed it into a ball.

Without warning, I hurled it at Spencer. It hit him squarely on the chest. He stared at me in mock outrage. "Oh, you're in trouble now."

Laughing, I dashed away, scooping up more snow as I went. Spencer quickly followed suit, and soon we were engaged in an all-out snowball fight. Laughter filled the air as we ducked, dodged, and threw snowballs at each other. Eventually, we were both out of breath and covered in snow.

We collapsed onto our backs in the snow in front of the post office, still laughing. Flurries fell around us, the world a magical swirl of white. Spencer rolled over, pulling me on top of him. Our faces were inches apart. I could see the love and joy in his eyes. He looked ten years younger. He looked like that carefree young man that used to laugh easily with my brother.

"I love you," he said softly, his breath visible in the cold air.

"I love you too," I replied, leaning down to kiss him.

Our lips met, a warm contrast to the winter chill that surrounded us. We got lost in each other. His arms wrapped around me, his hold becoming tighter as he deepened the kiss. It was like nothing I'd experienced before. It was real, raw, and full of love.

After a while, we broke apart, both panting slightly from the intensity of the moment. He smiled at me warmly, his eyes sparkling with joy and love.

"Come on," he said suddenly, standing up and pulling me with him. He brushed off some snow from my coat, grinning widely. "Let's go home."

As we walked back to the house, I couldn't help but think about the future we were building together. It felt bright and full of possibility. We could actually have it all one day. I wanted the home with the big backyard and a big kitchen.

We walked into the house and were hit with the smells of my mother's pork chops and homemade applesauce.

"Did you two have fun?" Mom asked, a knowing look on her face.

"We did," I said, exchanging a glance with Spencer. "It was perfect."

"Dinner will be done in about fifteen minutes."

"I'll set the table," I offered. "Give me just a minute."

Spencer headed out to the garage to let Rhett and my father know. I quickly set the table, unable to hide my smile.

"You look happy," Mom said.

"I'm ecstatic," I replied.

"I'm so happy for you, Marlow. Spencer is a good man. I know he will make you happy, just like you make him happy."

After dinner, we all gathered in the living room again, this time to watch a Christmas movie. Shoop snuggled up between Spencer and me, his head resting on my lap. The fire crackled in the fireplace, casting a warm glow over the room.

As the movie played, I glanced around at my family, my heart swelling with love. This was what I had always wanted. A sense of belonging, of being surrounded by people who loved and supported me. And now, with Spencer by my side, I felt like I had finally found it. One day, he and I might have this with our own kids.