The Boy Who Didn't Love

epilogue

  Ali put her pencil in between her teeth as she stared at her computer screen in deep thought. After a few more moments of extra contemplation, she hit the submit button and sighed in relief. She then set the pencil down on the marble countertop and wandered over to the tall windows across from her.

  The loud noises from the colorful city beyond the windows were a comfort to her, causing her heart to finally still and relax from the prior stress.

  She jumped slightly when the front door suddenly opened, and without even needing to turn around, her heart began to race all over again for a much different reason. A smile crawled onto her face as she looked over her shoulder, catching sight of the alluring man in the suit.

  He met her eyes and smiled back, quickly unbuttoning some of his shirt to let his chest breathe. He was almost hypnotized by the picturesque scene before him — of her standing and shining in the light, in front of a world of people, yet her eyes were only on him.

  Suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, he dashed towards her and drowned himself in her arms. She raised her hands to his nape and kissed his cheek as he buried his face in her neck.

  "Welcome home, Sawyer," Ali said softly, and he responded by leaving a peck on her collarbone. "How was work? Not too stressful today, I hope."

  "I miss not having to deal with corporate when I was just a customer service employee," Sawyer replied as he lifted his head and looked at her.

  She cocked her head and grinned. "What about that measly little paycheck? I bet you don't miss that."

  He grudgingly nodded at the reminder before stuffing his head in her neck again.

  A few years ago, his father had decided to gift him one of his department stores in the city, of which he would have complete managerial control over. He still, of course, had to report back to the CEO — Mr. Price — and the board of directors, and that was Sawyer's least favorite part of the job. Although he was now on relatively good terms with his father, or as good as two sociopaths can get, he still preferred to speak to him sparingly. The paycheck raise, however, kept him going despite of that. After all, he had a wife to take care of now.

  "And how was your day? Finish that exam?" he asked her, encircling his arms around her waist and leaning back to watch her.

  "Yes, I did. I just have a few more finals before I'm officially a college graduate!" Ali exclaimed excitedly.

  After their wedding, she decided it was finally time to use the money her late grandmother left for her and finish school. Sawyer supported her every step of the way, and she was immensely grateful for all of the sleepless nights and stressful days that he fought through with her.

  Sawyer hugged her tightly and left some kisses on the top of her head. "I'm proud of you, Alice."

  "Thank you, my love," Ali murmured happily before they pulled apart. She glanced down at their conjoined hands as a nostalgic smile found its way onto her face. "We've been married for almost four years now. That means we've been together for a whole decade, can you believe it?"

  "No," he answered as he began to play with her wedding band. "Feels like it's been longer than that."

  "But shorter at the same time," she added, and he nodded. A moment of silence passed over them, with only the sounds of the city outside interrupting the tranquility, while the sun set.

  Sawyer then cleared his throat and stared at her carefully. "Are you still okay with not having children?"

  Ali smiled softly, knowing this was an uncomfortable subject for him. He had shared his feelings on it before they got married, and they discussed it extensively.