Chapter 7 – Reconciliation
When Elena arrived at Marcus's apartment, the door opened before she could knock.
He stood there barefoot, wearing a plain black tee and tired eyes. But when he saw her, something softened.
"Hi," she whispered.
"Hi."
They didn't say more. She stepped in, dropped her bag, and before the door fully shut, they were in each other's arms.
It wasn't a passionate, desperate kind of embrace—it was grounding. Healing. Like two pieces of a puzzle remembering where they fit.
They sat on the couch, no jazz playing this time. Just the rain against the windows.
"I've been thinking," Marcus started, "about how easy it is to let pride speak louder than love."
Elena nodded. "Me too. I think I've been afraid to need someone again. But the truth is… I do. I need you."
He reached for her hand. "You're allowed to. And I'll always make space for your world—your art, your ambition. I just need to know there's room for me in it too."
"There is," she said immediately. "You don't have to compete with what I do. You're part of why I do it. You remind me to slow down, to breathe. That matters more than you know."
They talked for hours—really talked.
Not just about the fight, but about everything they hadn't said.
Their fears.
Their expectations.
Their hopes.
Marcus admitted that he sometimes worried he wasn't enough for someone as bold and adventurous as her. Elena confessed she often felt like she had to prove her worth through success—especially after what her ex had done.
He cupped her face gently. "You're enough even when you do nothing."
Tears welled in her eyes. "So are you."
That night, they didn't sleep right away. They lay awake beside each other, fingers intertwined, hearts no longer heavy.
It wasn't a perfect love.
But it was real.
And that made it worth everything.