Fast Forward

Years passed in a blur, and before they knew it, the lives they had imagined for themselves were now real.

High school felt like a different world. A distant memory.

There were still moments when Caesar found himself thinking about those days—how much he and Blythe had been through, how close they had come to losing each other for good.

But now?

Now, he didn't have to wonder.

Because she was right here, next to him, wearing his last name, in the home they had built together.

---

It hadn't been easy.

Nothing about their story had ever been simple.

They had fought, struggled, and nearly fallen apart more times than he could count.

But somehow, against all odds, they had made it.

They had survived.

And now, they were living the life they had once dreamed about during quiet late-night talks in high school—when the world had felt so uncertain, but this, them, had always been the one thing that made sense.

---

They graduated from college two years ago.

Caesar had landed a job as a sports journalist, writing for a major publication that covered national basketball leagues. It wasn't exactly the future he had imagined for himself back in high school, but in many ways, it was better.

It kept him close to the game he loved, while also giving him the freedom to travel, to explore, to tell stories that mattered.

And Blythe?

She had turned her passion for art into something real.

A career in graphic design had been the perfect fit for her, combining creativity with stability. She worked for a major agency now, leading design projects for brands all over the country.

They were busy—always busy—but somehow, no matter how chaotic life got, they always found their way back to each other.

Because that was just who they were.

And that was why, one year ago, Caesar had finally asked her to marry him.

---

The wedding had been small, intimate—exactly the way they wanted it.

Close friends. Family. Nothing extravagant.

Because in the end, the only thing that mattered was that they had each other.

Caesar still remembered the way Blythe had looked at him as she walked down the aisle.

Like he was the only thing in the world.

Like she had never once regretted choosing him again.

And as he had stood there, waiting for her, heart pounding in his chest, he had realized—

This wasn't just the end of their old story.

It was the beginning of something new.

---

Some nights, Caesar would lie awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering how the hell they had gotten here.

He would think about the version of himself from years ago—the boy who had nearly thrown everything away, the one who had been too blind to see what was right in front of him.

And then, he would turn over and see her—Blythe, sleeping peacefully beside him, her hair spilling across the pillow, her wedding ring glinting in the faint glow of the city lights outside their window.

And he would know.

This was exactly where they were always meant to be.

---

One evening, months after their wedding, they sat on their apartment balcony, watching the sunset together.

Blythe leaned against him, her fingers tracing idle patterns on his arm.

"Did you ever think we'd make it here?" she murmured.

Caesar glanced down at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Honestly?"

She hummed, waiting.

He exhaled. "Back then, I thought I had lost you for good."

Blythe tilted her head to look at him, her blue eyes soft. "And now?"

He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his voice quiet but certain.

"Now, I know I'll never lose you again."

Blythe smiled, leaning up to kiss him.

And as the sky faded into shades of deep blue—the same blue as her eyes—Caesar knew, without a doubt, that this was only the beginning.

Because some love stories don't end.

Some love stories last a lifetime.