Gently

Epilogue

We were standing on a stage, our hands intertwined with one another. There were streamers strewn across the hardwood floor and balloons haphazardly pinned to the mirrors. It felt quiet in the studio now that everyone had left for the night.

"I'm really proud of you," Zane whispered, giving my hand a small squeeze.

It took us some time to fully recover from the warehouse incident. Once Fiona and her husband were caught by police, we were able to breathe a sigh of relief and return to our normal lives.

But things felt brighter now than they did before. My heart didn't feel as heavy. Sadness would still seep in but I tried to focus on the good memories about Kat.

"I couldn't have done this without you," I responded, returning his squeeze.

He let go of my hand and spun around, arms outstretched. "This is all you, sweetheart. You worked hard to get this second studio."

After graduating from university, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I wanted in life. I realized that ballet was important to me and that's what I chose. Knowing that Zane was in Toronto also made the decision easier. It was tough but I was able to open up another studio.

"I almost forgot! I have something for you." I scrambled off the stage, nearly slipping in my heels. Digging around my purse, I managed to find the box. "This is for you!"

He sat down at the stage's edge, pulling at his tie. "I should be giving you presents."

"You're officially not allowed to buy me any more presents," I stated, positioning myself between his legs. "The ring you bought for me is worth more than my organs."

"I actually sold my left kidney for that," he grinned before giving the ring a tap.

"Hurry up and open it! I'm getting old just standing here," I joked.

Zane tore open the wrapping and flipped the box open. Inside there was a silver watch, almost an exact replica of the one I broke nearly two years ago. He turned around the watch and saw the engraving. "To my favourite lawyer," he read.

His eyes flicked to mine and his gaze almost made me melt. After carefully returning the watch to its box, he placed his hands on my cheeks. I pressed my hands to his. "Do you like it? I broke your old one with the drone, remember?"

He tilted my head up and kissed me gently. 

|| Author's Note ||

This story was never meant to stretch on for as long as it did. Gently is a project that I started completely for fun and to practice my writing. I recognize that it's not perfect but it was an absolute blast writing this story. I'm going to miss Sarah and Zane!

Thank you so so much for reading this story. Your votes and comments have meant the world to me. 

I'll likely be making some edits to this story down the road but for now, I'm glad that this project is complete. It was so satisfying to finally mark this story as complete. 

Thanks again!