“Who is she?” I asked, showing him the image.
He hesitated before answering, “Her name’s Madison. She brings back the excitement I’ve been missing.”
My world shifted. “You’re leaving? After everything?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry, Amanda. I can’t do this anymore.”
With that, he walked out, leaving me heartbroken. But in that pain, something awakened. When Judy cried, I held her close and whispered, “We’re going to be okay.”
And we were. Despite a difficult divorce and minimal involvement from Lucas afterward, I rebuilt. I leaned on my finance degree, got back on my feet, and eventually opened a small café—something I’d always dreamed of. Judy grew up surrounded by the aroma of coffee and the kindness of regulars. Life began to bloom again.
Two years later, on a crisp autumn day, the café bell rang—and there stood Lucas. He looked tired, not quite the man I remembered.
“Amanda?” he asked, surprised.
I smiled calmly. “Hello, Lucas. Coffee?”
He glanced around and smirked. “Didn’t expect to see you here. Working behind the counter?”
I kept my tone steady. “I own this place.”
His smile faded as he took in the warm atmosphere, the happy customers, and the team moving confidently behind the bar.
He cleared his throat. “Things didn’t work out with Madison. I’ve been thinking about… us. And Judy.”
I nodded toward the corner where my partner, Daniel, sat reading with Judy, her laughter filling the room.
“He’s been there for us,” I said. “Through everything. Judy knows what it means to be loved consistently.”
Lucas seemed lost for words.
“I was never boring, Lucas,” I added. “You just stopped paying attention.”
As another customer stepped up, I returned to the counter. When I looked up again, Lucas was gone.
Daniel smiled at me from across the café, and I smiled back. That chapter was closed. My life now was full of purpose, joy, and love—the kind that lasts.