The Final Goodbye
Larry and Laura stood proudly by the altar, dressed in matching white and navy. Jo was behind them, teary-eyed. Callum stood with Rowan, whispering something in his ear that made him laugh.
And then Rowan turned.
And saw me.
Everything else stopped.
He looked the same, yet different. His hair slightly longer, his beard trimmed neatly. His eyes—God, his eyes—they softened the second they locked on me. His breath hitched visibly. His hand went to his chest like it physically hurt him to watch me walk toward him.
I never wanted that look to leave his face.
Each step I took, Cedric’s grip tightened a little—then, just before we reached the altar, he paused.
“Remi.”
“Yes?”
He didn’t meet my eyes. “Thank you. For making me believe again. For letting me be your father.”
I pressed my forehead to his for a second and whispered, “I love you too.”
Then he passed me over to Rowan.
Rowan’s hand closed around mine like it had always belonged there. Firm. Steady. Gentle.
“Hi,” I breathed.
“Hi,” he said, eyes red.
“You’re shaking.”
“So are you.”
The ceremony passed like a dream—vows, prayers, promises.
Then it was Rowan’s turn to speak.
He turned to me fully, took both my hands, and pulled me just a little closer.
“I don’t have a speech,” he said softly, but everyone still heard him.
“I only have a heart I once thought was too damaged to ever beat for someone again. And yet here I am, hopelessly in love with you.”
My throat tightened.
“I didn’t grow up knowing what love looked like. I only knew loyalty and loss, pain and silence. Then you walked into my life, loud, messy, brave and somehow, all those shattered pieces inside me started to make sense.”
Tears slipped down my cheeks.
“You made me a father. A partner. A man. And if I get to spend the rest of my life waking up beside you, raising our children, hearing your laugh in our kitchen… then I’ll know I’ve already won.”
He slipped the ring on my finger simple and silver, just like the one I wore ten months ago.
My hands trembled as I held his. I blinked up at him, and then I took a small breath.
“My turn.”
I looked around once—at Cedric, at Jo, at the kids. At the life that was almost stolen from me.
Then I looked back at him.
“Rowan…” I began softly. “You terrify me sometimes.”
He blinked, caught off guard, but I smiled through the tears.
“You terrify me because loving you feels like standing too close to the edge of a cliff dangerous, thrilling, and completely out of my control. And I jumped anyway.”
He swallowed hard.
“You were the calm in my chaos and the storm I didn’t know I needed. You’re stubborn, and broody, and sometimes, incredibly annoying but you’re also the man who had changed for me and had grown to love me. You stood there even if you didn't remember me. You made me hate love but you also made me love again.”
My voice cracked. I didn’t care.
“You held me through hell. You brought me home when I couldn’t find it on my own. You loved every broken part of me like it was worth something.”
He brushed away a tear slipping down my cheek.
“So I promise, today and every day forward… I’ll fight for you. I’ll fight with you. I’ll annoy you. I’ll tease you. I’ll kiss you when you’re angry and hold you when the world gets too loud. I’ll be your home. Your family. Your peace.”
I reached for his hand, sliding the ring onto his finger slowly, like I never wanted to let go.
“I love you, Rowan Vaughn. And I always will.”
He closed his eyes, jaw tight.
“I love you too, Remington Laurent.”
I smiled from ear to ear. The preacher said the vows. He said it too, I repeated.
And when the kiss came, it wasn’t perfect—it was a little too desperate, a little too emotional. I think we both cried halfway through it.
But it was real.
It was ours.
The cheers echoed around us as we turned to face the crowd.
Asher was gone.
But Cedric clapped loudly. Callum whistled. Jo sobbed. And the twins grabbed our hands, tugging us down the aisle, yelling, “WE’RE MARRIED!”
We laughed. God, we laughed so goddamn hard.
Because somehow, after everything, we had this.
We had love. We had peace. We had a future.
And I wasn’t scared to finally be at peace with myself.
After everything we lost, we still found our way back to each other. That’s the kind of love I’ll never stop choosing.
****
Author’s Note – Final Goodbye
I don’t even know where to start.
This journey... had been messy. But also beautiful. And now that it’s come to an end, it honestly feels surreal.
I cried while writing certain parts. I paused and stared at the screen during others, because the emotions hit too real. This wasn’t just fiction for me. It carried pieces of my pain, my healing, and so many things in between.
So many losses. So many betrayals. So much love trying to survive in the middle of chaos.
I know it ended quickly, and maybe you wish it didn’t. I do too. But this was the ending I saw from the very start. It hurt to write it. It hurt to let go.
But I’m glad I took you with me.
Thank you. For reading. For feeling. For staying. For crying with me. For loving Rowan and Remi even when they were messy and flawed and just trying to survive.
This isn’t the end of everything—just the end of this. And honestly? What a ride it’s been.
But don’t go too far.
My new book, Love in Desire: Rebirth Of A Chef
Goddess, is coming soon.
A new story. A comedy kind of book and I promise you, you would not be disappointed.
With love,
DAISY. ❤️
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