Chapter 25

Years passed like pages flipping in a book.

Amelia never forgot Whiskers. At first, the ache of his absence lingered like a ghost. But as time went on, life carried her forward.

She and Oliver had their ups and downs—fights over silly things, makeups that always felt sweeter, stolen kisses in between study sessions. Their love didn't come in grand, cinematic moments. It came in the quiet ones—the way he always remembered her favorite coffee order, the way she always saved him the last fry.

After high school, they went to different colleges, each pursuing their own dreams. It wasn't easy, but they made it work, visiting whenever they could, texting nonstop. No matter how much time passed, no matter the distance, they always found their way back to each other.

Now, Amelia was in her third year of college, exhausted from a long day of classes. She sighed as she unlocked her apartment door.

Her phone buzzed.

Lena: Meet us at Tino's. It's important.

She frowned. Tino's? She hadn't been there in months.

Shrugging, she changed quickly and headed out.

The moment she stepped into the restaurant, voices erupted.

"SURPRISE!"

Her heart nearly stopped.

The place was packed with friends—her college friends, Lena, even her old high school classmates. A birthday party. For her.

Amelia turned to Lena, wide-eyed. "You planned this?"

Lena smirked. "Obviously. Who else would?"

Laughter and music filled the space as everyone sang happy birthday. She felt a warmth spread in her chest, happiness bubbling up.

Then, Lena cleared her throat dramatically. "And now, for the real surprise."

Amelia raised a brow. "Lena, what—"

The restaurant doors opened.

Her breath caught.

Standing there, slightly out of breath like he'd just rushed in, was Oliver.

Amelia blinked. "You—you're here?"

He grinned. "Wouldn't miss your birthday for anything."

She didn't realize she was moving until she was already in his arms, the scent of his cologne wrapping around her. "You idiot," she mumbled against his chest.

"Yeah, yeah." He chuckled, pulling back. "But wait, there's more."

She blinked. "More?"

Oliver stepped back, suddenly looking a little nervous. Then, to her absolute shock, he dropped to one knee.

Her heart stopped.

At first, she thought he was joking—until he pulled out a small velvet box.

The restaurant went silent.

Amelia's hands flew to her mouth. "Oliver…"

He looked up at her, eyes filled with nothing but love. "I know we're young, and I know life is unpredictable. But there's one thing I've always been sure of, and that's you. So, Amelia Harper…" He opened the box, revealing a simple but breathtaking diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

She stared at him. The room blurred, her heart pounding so hard she swore it echoed.

This was real.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she let out a shaky laugh. "You absolute idiot," she whispered.

He grinned. "Is that a yes?"

She took a deep breath. Then, with a smile, she nodded. "Yeah. It's a yes."

The restaurant exploded into cheers as Oliver slipped the ring onto her finger.

After the party, they took a quiet stroll under the moonlight, fingers intertwined.

They talked about their future—how many kids they wanted, what kind of house they'd live in, even what kind of dog they'd get.

"We're gonna grow old together, huh?" Oliver mused.

Amelia smiled, leaning into him. "Yeah. And get buried side by side, obviously."

He snorted. "Obviously."

As she looked up at the starry sky, a gentle breeze brushed past her.

And for just a moment… she saw him.

Whiskers, sitting beside her, tail flicking lazily.

He smirked. Not bad, kid.

Her throat tightened.

She smiled through the tears gathering in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."

He winked.

Then, just like before… he faded away.

But this time, she wasn't sad.

Because she wasn't alone anymore.