Joanna asked, “So all those nights you couldn’t sleep… it was
because you were scared I’d leave with Calvin?”
Joanna’s teasing caught George completely off guard. His cheeks flushed red.
Seeing his expression, Joanna tilted her head with faux
disappointment. “But I had no choice. Calvin’s got a girlfriend now, and he doesn’t want me anymore. He came back to see me one last time and to say goodbye.”
George stared at her, stunned at first, then visibly relieved. A quiet smile tugged at his lips as he exhaled.
“His girlfriend? Where is she? I didn’t see him bring her along.”
Joanna arched an eyebrow and asked, “Why are you so interested in someone else’s girlfriend? What’s wrong, George? Did I disappoint you? Or are you secretly wishing I was with someone else?”
“No!” George blurted out before wrapping an arm around her.
shoulders, desperate to prove his loyalty.
Joanna laughed but didn’t push it further.
They had dinner together, something simple but warm. Then they
took a walk along the river. The breeze was soft, almost tender, brushing away the weight from both their shoulders.
There was a lightness to them that hadn’t been there in a long time.
As they walked, Joanna shared stories from her past with Rowan, speaking of them like old memories she had finally made peace with.
Each time she finished one, it was like turning a page in a book she
no longer needed to reread.
The pain that used to define her had become nothing more than
scattered memories.
She had always meant to thank George.
He had helped her find her way out of that wreckage. Without him,
she might have drowned in a love that had long since died.
Suddenly, she stopped walking. Her expression turned serious as she
looked at him.
“George, let’s get married,” she said softly.
George froze in place, stunned. But his head nodded before his heart.
could even catch up.
Joanna smiled and rose on her toes, pressing a kiss to his lips.
This time, it was just the two of them.
She didn’t need witnesses. She didn’t need grand vows or a gilded
ceremony.
All she ever wanted was something simple, steady, and peaceful.
She never needed fireworks or fairy tales. Just slow mornings, quiet meals, a man she could trust, and a place that felt like home.
Chapter 24
George didn’t say a word for a long moment.
Then he pulled her into a tight embrace.
No one knew just how long he had waited for this exact moment.
From the very first moment George laid eyes on Joanna….
From the second she extended her hand to him…
From the way she calmly introduced herself…
His eyes had been locked on her ever since, and so had his heart. Even back then, he knew he would never be able to walk away from
her.
She told him she was married. She said she had a man who loved her.
Of course, he was disappointed. But still, he thought to himself, “A woman like her deserves to be cherished.”
What he hadn’t expected was that the man in question failed to do
just that.
One part of him burned with fury at the injustice. Yet another part- quiet, selfish, and ashamed–flickered with hope. Maybe this was his
chance.
He had always loved Joanna. He never needed words to say it. He
only ever wanted to show it through action.
George rearranged his entire schedule, clearing work in advance so he could take Joanna on the trip she had dreamed of.
Chapter 24
They spent months traveling across countries and continents.
They had their wedding in the one city they loved most, just the two of them, exactly the way it was always meant to be.
Joanna sent Calvin postcards from their trip. She included photo
after photo, most of her in a white dress, laughing.
The kind of joy he hadn’t seen on her face in a long time.
Calvin had a whole wall covered in photos like these. Without
hesitation, he pinned the new ones right alongside them.
At his feet, a little corgi barked for attention, tail wagging, eyes wide with pleading.
“Julia, you’ve already had too many bones today. You’re gonna pop if you keep this up,” Calvin said, chuckling.
The corgi tilted her head and barked again, as if she understood.
Calvin caved, tossing her another bone anyway.
He never told Joanna the truth.
That “girlfriend” of his… was just a corgi.
