Claire smiled, nodding as she tucked the gifts inside. It felt right—each item carrying its own intention, yet nestled together like pieces of the life they were building.
Before they left, she added her own token to the bag: a small compass necklace—simple, with a brushed silver finish and a tiny star etched behind the needle. It wasn’t flashy, but it held meaning. Jack had always guided her toward steadiness, toward trust. A compass was the perfect symbol, not just for him, but for the direction her own life had taken since letting love in again. She gently closed the pouch, sealing her gratitude, her growth, and her hope inside.
She thought of the day she’d nearly backed out of the town meeting, nerves jangling and palms damp, until Jack had quietly taken her hand and said, "You belong here." That moment—the certainty in his voice, the warmth of his touch—had stayed with her, a lighthouse in the fog. Now it was her turn to remind him that the path they were on wasn’t one he walked alone.
That night, after the kids had fallen asleep and the porch light flickered on, Claire pulled the map from the desk drawer and traced a blank corner with her finger. There was space for something new—something they hadn’t yet imagined.
She uncapped a pen and wrote in the margin: Seaview Roots Garden—led by the children, tended by all. Claire imagined Chloe picking marigolds and Gabe carefully labeling seedlings. She could almost hear their laughter as they helped neighbors plant herbs and vegetables, every stem and root a piece of their shared hope.
A place to plant not just flowers, but memories.
And when Jack came home, she’d hand him the map and the tiny collection of gifts. Not because they were grand, but because they were theirs.
Claire folded the map carefully, her fingers brushing over the fresh ink. Tomorrow, Jack would be home. She could already picture the way Chloe would leap into his arms, and how Jack’s tired smile would soften the second he stepped onto the porch. Claire reached for the burlap pouch on the table, her fingers curling around the small compass inside—a quiet promise that she’d kept the course while he was away.
And she had something to give him—tokens of love, legacy, and the life they were still building, one shared dream at a time.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jack
Themusicdriftedfromthe harbor’s edge, a mellow tune of acoustic guitar harmonizing with the clink of glasses and soft murmur of conversation. The salty tang of the sea air curled around the scent of roasted shrimp and citrus from the nearby tables, weaving through warm streams of twinkling lantern lights that painted Jack’s face in flickering gold.
The taste of sea air touched his lips, cool and briny, grounding him in the moment as he stepped forward. Jack stepped into the soft golden glow, the sea breeze lifting the ends of his shirt as if nudging him forward.
The celebration marked the groundbreaking of the Amanda Grace Wellness Wing—an evening of gratitude, community, and new beginnings. It had begun without fanfare, the kind that unfolded naturally when good people gathered with shared hopes and full hearts.
Jack spotted Claire from across the green. She stilled mid-step, her breath catching in the lantern light, posture relaxing like a sail finally filling with wind. The flicker in her gaze mirrored his own, a fragile hope taking shape in the hush between them. He saw the emotion ripple across her face—relief, joy, a flicker of disbelief that made his own heart twist. Her posture eased, her shoulders lowering as if releasing a weight she hadn’t realized she carried.
For a heartbeat, all the missed moments and long nights apart seemed to dissolve, and all that remained was this—her eyes locked on his, and her first step forward mirroring the one he'd just taken.
For a moment, Jack watched as Claire's expression transformed—her shoulders eased, her eyes shone in the lantern light, and something in her posture told him the weeks apart had just crumbled away. He didn’t need her words to understand how deeply she’d missed him; it was all there in the way she stepped toward him, like gravity itself had shifted to bring them together.
She made her way toward him, weaving through clusters of neighbors sipping lemonade and swapping stories. Chloe darted between them, dragging Gabe by the hand toward the dessert table.
"You're back," Claire breathed as they met. Her hand found his without hesitation.
Jack grinned. "For good this time."
Her gaze searched his, anchoring them in the moment. "Charleston?"
"Wrapped. Signed off. I handed over the reins, trained my replacement, and cleared my calendar."
Claire blinked, her mouth parting. "You really did it."
He nodded, eyes warm. "I want to build our life here, not just dream about it between trips."
They turned toward the mingling crowd, slowly making their way around the lawn. At a picnic table, one of the clinic volunteers waved them over.
"We were just talking about you," the woman said, gesturing to the map pinned to the billboard beside the table. "Everyone’s buzzing about how the clinic’s going to change things here." the woman beamed at Jack. "The Amanda Grace Wellness Wing is all anyone can talk about."
Jack’s smile deepened. "We broke ground last week. The team in Charleston helped finish the plans before I left. We’ll start with expanded pediatric and maternal care—eventually, mental health services too."
Claire rested her chin on her hand, pride radiating in her posture, but beneath it, a ripple of awe shimmered through her. This moment—watching Jack so firmly rooted in the life they were creating—tugged at her heart in ways she hadn’t expected. "The programs you’ve designed already have people asking how they can help."
"It’s not just mine anymore," Jack said. "You’ve helped shape this just as much."
Their conversation shifted to laughter and light storytelling as more guests joined the table. Someone passed a pitcher of sweet tea, and children’s squeals echoed from a nearby ring toss game. Jack leaned back in his seat, taking it all in. The low hum of community, the warmth of Claire beside him, the rhythm of life he'd almost forgotten to chase.
