“It was the luckiest day of mine too.”
“Do you think it was fate?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t know if I believe in fate.
“I didn’t either until you came along, but anyway. How about we get our stuff unpacked and I can show you some of the interesting underwear I brought with me on this little weekend trip of ours?”
“Now, that sounds like something I could get seriously into,” he replied.
“Oh, I certainly hope so,” she said playfully.
“Hush, woman, you’re wasting valuable panty-raiding time,” he said, chasing her out to the SUV to bring their things in.
They dropped everything inside the door and skipped the unpacking, instead getting right down to the business of undressing one another and breaking in their brand-new bed. Unlike the cramped one that had been there before, this one was king-sized with iron railings that would serve nicely to attach to anything from silk ties to handcuffs. Malcolm opened the drawer of the bedside table to reveal that he had both, along with quite a few other fun and exciting items.
They spent their first night in bed, reacquainting themselves with their wild sides until they were both spent. Days were mostly enjoyed out on the deck, enjoying the birds on the water and, eventually, the sunset across the lake. It was just as beautiful out there as it had even been. There was no trace of the bad things that had happened as they returned to the cabin for another lazy night of drinking wine and making love.
Autumn was grateful for the downtime, but in the quiet moments, she missed the children. She wondered if this was how her mother had felt every day she had been out there on the run from the ugliness that she had left behind. It must have been as hard for her as it had been for Autumn. She made a mental note to ask her mother sometimes about that and how her father had felt. Had he shown any regret? Concern? Then again, perhaps she didn’t want to know.
The one promise she made to herself was that she would never allow any of her children to feel so alone. She would always be there to talk to them and let them make their own decisions, but with whatever guidance they needed to do so. It felt like that was the right balance, and she knew that Malcolm agreed.
“Where have you gone, Autumn?” Malcolm asked, apparently noting the far-away look on her face.
“Nowhere. I’m right where I belong,” she told him, laying her head to one side to rest on his shoulder.
“Time really does pass quickly, doesn’t it?” he said.
“Yes. It seems like only yesterday, you were picking me up off the side of a road and mending my wounds.”
“You were the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on, even in the just the moonlight, all bloodied and bruised.”
“You saved me.”
“I hope you know that you saved me just as much as I did you.”
“I doubt that.”
“No. You did. I had no idea what I was doing. I was hellbent on becoming Alpha. You made me realize that it was never as important as I thought it was. I’m grateful for that. I don’t know that I would have ever loved to truly love another person as much as I love you and the kids if you hadn’t come into my life.”
“I feel the same about you.”
“Which is why we are perfect for one another.”
“I like to think so,” she replied.
They sat watching the sun until it disappeared and then walked back in the cabin together. It was so nice just being out in the middle of nowhere with no one to bother them. Autumn halfway wished they could bring the kids out and just hide away there forever, but she supposed that it was better that it did not come true. As much as she loved the kids, there was no doubt she’d go mad with so many in such a small space.
By the end of the weekend, the new cabin had been fully broken in. There were new memories there to add to the previous good ones and cancel out the bad ones that had happened at the end. They left feeling refreshed and closer than ever. Soon, they were back at their house with all of their children gathered around them, and life was good. In fact, life was better than ever.
Malcolm resumed his duties as Alpha and Autumn went back to her classes, enjoying one another every chance they got and raising their wonderful children with as much love and grace as they could.
As the years passed, the kids grew up and left them, one by one, each pursuing their hopes and dreams. Though Autumn had grown up with both parents and a brother, she had mostly felt foreign in her own house all those years.