Desert Steel
“Mine too,” you say, and you mean it, with every fiber of your being. You turn in his arms, looking up at him, at this man who’s become your world, your heart, your home. “I love you, Jagger. More than anything.”
His eyes soften, his smile turning tender, intimate. “I love you too, Jessa,” he says, his voice a solemn vow. “More than I ever thought possible.”
He kisses you then, slow and deep, a promise of forever, and you kiss him back, pouring every ounce of your love, your gratitude, your bone-deep joy into the press of your lips against his. When he pulls back, there’s a light in his eyes you’ve never seen before – peace, pure and bright and unshakable.
“Come on,” he says, taking your hand in his, his touch strong, sure. “Let’s go home.”
You follow him out of the garage, into the fading light of a Nevada sunset, the sky above painted in shades of orange and pink and gold. The ride home is quiet, easy, the bike thrumming beneath you, Jagger’s body warm and solid against your back. You cling to him, your arms tight around his waist, your cheek pressed to his shoulder, savoring the feel of him, the rightness of this moment, this life you’ve built together.
When you pull up to the cabin, the one you’ve made your own, the one that’s become a symbol of everything you’ve fought for, everything you’ve won, Jagger kills the engine, the sudden silence ringing in your ears. He swings off the bike, helps you down, his hands lingering on your waist, his eyes dark with promise.
“You know,” he says, his voice low, rough with emotion, “I never thought I’d have this. A home. A family. A life that means something.”
You smile, your heart full to bursting, your love for this man a tangible thing, a force that sustains you, that drives you, that makes every day worth living. “You’ve got it, Jagger,” you say, your voice just as rough, just as full. “You’ve got it all.”
He takes your hand, leads you inside, into the warmth, the light, the sanctuary you’ve created together. And there, in the heart of the home you’ve built, in the arms of the man you love, you find the one thing that was always just out of reach, the one thing that makes everything else worthwhile.
Peace.