Chapter 19 - REFLECTIONS ON THE BANKA year after their wedding, Ethan, Victoria, and Maya returned to the Ravenport riverbank path where their lives had intersected on that fateful autumn evening.
The stormy sky of the past had been replaced by a bright, golden sunset. The dark, terrifying river now flowed peacefully, reflecting the pink and orange hues of the twilight sky.
Maya ran ahead, holding a colorful pinwheel that spun in the soft breeze, her laughter floating back to them.
Ethan and Victoria walked hand-in-hand, stopping at the exact spot near the wrought-iron railing where Victoria had once stood on the brink of ending her life.
Victoria looked down at the river, a quiet, contemplative smile on her face.
"Thinking about that day?" Ethan asked gently, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her against his side.
"I was thinking about how terrified I was," Victoria confessed softly, leaning her head against his chest. "I felt so entirely alone in the world. I thought nobody cared."
She turned to look at Ethan, reaching up to gently touch his cheek. "And then a man with a heavy backpack and a little girl stopped. You didn't know me, Ethan. You had your own massive burdens, yet you jumped into the icy water for me."
Ethan kissed her forehead. "It was the best jump I ever took."
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"I asked you if you would stay if I undressed," Victoria murmured, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "I was asking if you would stay if I showed you how broken I really was."
"And I stayed," Ethan whispered warmly. "And I'm staying forever."
