I had been married to her the first time we were together in that cabin. My commitment was solidified for a lifetime. There was never another woman for me after that, even when she left me, because I was miserable without her. There was no hesitation or doubt. She was the woman for me—and I’d known it the moment I saw her. “Yes.”

Twenty-Nine

Forgiveness

Melanie

Nothing changed.

Marriage didn’t change our lives whatsoever. Our honeymoon didn’t feel like a honeymoon. We didn’t feel like newlyweds.

Because every day was our honeymoon. Every day felt like we were newlyweds. Every day was experienced with the same commitment we’d always shared. My last name was different, and I was a countess, but I’d felt like royalty the moment he’d laid eyes on me.

Raven stood across from me at the kitchen island, where we used to eat together when we both lived in this apartment. We drank our coffee and picked at the muffins she’d bought at the bakery that morning.

It was strange to be there, because I was a different person than when I had first arrived.

Now I didn’t even know that woman anymore.

“How was your honeymoon?” Raven’s voice brought me back to reality.

I held the mug between my fingers, feeling the warmth against my skin. “It was amazing. Greece is…indescribable.”

“What did you guys do?”

“Well…other than the obvious, we went shopping, had lots of lunches and dinners, lay by the pool. We stayed on the island of Santorini, in Opa, and it’s this little village where you can walk everywhere. I thought Paris was beautiful…”

“I’m glad you had a good time.” Raven had dropped her hostility toward Fender, but she wasn’t warm toward him either. There was just calm acceptance, and that was all I wanted.

“How are things with you?”

“Magnus is liking his job at the stables. He trains horses, grooms them, takes care of them. He keeps Rose there.”

“That’s nice.” When Raven told me she’d made Magnus give away his money, I’d thought it was harsh, but I accepted it without question or judgment. We were different people. She saw the world in black-and-white. I saw it in all the colors of the rainbow. “What about you?”

“It’s nice to be back in school. I’m also working at the bar I used to go to.”

“Is it weird…to be living a normal life?”

She looked down into her coffee for a long time as she considered the question, probably reflecting on her life in the camp, everything that had transpired. “It’s weird that it happened so quickly. It feels like…it’s always been this way. I feel like Magnus has always been a part of my life, when I’ve only known him for months. I guess our shared journey changes the measurement of time.”