𝐟𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 ๋࣭⭑𝘥. 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯

𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧

3 months later

the day of grace’s sixteenth birthday dawned bright and clear, a perfect spring day that seemed to promise hope and renewal. the house was buzzing with excitement and activity, as friends and family gathered to celebrate.

balloons and streamers adorned the living room, and a large banner reading “happy 16th birthday, grace!” hung above the fireplace. the aroma of chocolate cake and freshly cooked food filled the air, adding to the festive atmosphere. grace was nervous but excited.

for months, she had been working up the courage to convince pearl to see dallas again. it had taken countless conversations, assurances, and heartfelt pleas, but pearl finally agreed to meet him, and grace decided that her birthday would be the perfect occasion.

she hoped that the joyous setting and the presence of loved ones would soften any lingering tension.

finally, the doorbell rang, and grace’s heart skipped a beat. she took a deep breath and walked to the door, opening it to find dallas standing there. he looked at her with softness in his eyes that she recognized from their meetings over the past few months.

he held a gift wrapped in colorful paper, and as he saw grace, a smile spread across his face.“happy birthday grace,” dallas said, his voice warm and genuine.“thanks dad” grace replied, giving him a hug. “come on in.”

as dallas stepped into the house, the noise of the party seemed to dim slightly. pearl turned and saw him, her smile faltering for a moment before she composed herself, feeling a sense of deja vu.

their eyes met, and for a few seconds, it felt as if time stood still. the room, filled with chatter and laughter, seemed distant as the two of them faced each other for the first time in over a decade.

grace watched anxiously, her heart pounding. she had orchestrated this moment, and now all she could do was hope that it went well.

“pearl,” dallas said, his voice carrying a mix of hesitation and hope.“dallas,” pearl replied, her tone guarded but not unkind. grace stepped in. “why don’t you two talk in the garden? it’s quieter there.”

pearl nodded, and dallas agreed, so they made their way through the bustling living room and out to the garden. the garden was a sanctuary of sorts, with blooming flowers and a small, yet detailed fountain bubbling gently.

it was a peaceful place, perfect for a conversation long overdue. pearl and dallas sat on a bench under the shade of a large oak tree. for a moment, they were silent, each lost in their own thoughts, unsure of where to begin.

“it’s been a really long time since we've seen each other,” dallas finally said, breaking the silence. “you look well pearl, you're still very beautiful.” “thank you,” pearl replied, her voice softening slightly.

“you look... different.” dallas chuckled lightly. “time does that to you.” pearl sighed, looking down at her hands. “why did you come back dallas?”

dallas took a deep breath. “i came back because of grace. she reached out to me, and i realized how much i had missed. i wanted to get to know her, to be a part of her life. but also, i wanted to make amends, pearl. for everything, i know i fucked up.”

pearl looked up, her eyes meeting his. “you left us dallas. you left me to raise our daughter practically alone, but luckily my parents insisted on helping.” “i know,” dallas said, his voice heavy with regret.

“and i've regretted it every single day. i was young and scared, but that’s no excuse. i hurt you a bunch, and i hurt grace. i’ve spent years trying to come to terms with that, but i know i can never fully make up for it.”

pearl’s eyes softened, and she sighed again. “it was hard, dallas. raising her without you. my parents helped me and we all made a deal to raise grace as my sister and we made it through for a long time until she found out.”

dallas nodded, his eyes filled with remorse. “they did a wonderful job. grace is an amazing young woman. she's told me that she's had a few problems at school but she's trying to change, i saw her report cards and based off her grades, she's really smart.”

there was a pause as they both reflected on the past and the choices that had led them here. then pearl spoke again, her voice steady but tinged with sadness.

“why now, dallas? why come back after all these years?” “because i realized how much i missed,” dallas said earnestly. “i missed all of grace’s childhood, her first steps, her first words. i missed being there for her and for you. i can’t change the past, but i want to be here now, if you’ll let me.”

pearl looked at him, searching his eyes for sincerity. she saw the man she had fallen in love with so many years ago, but also someone who had been through his own struggles and had come out the other side with a deeper understanding of his mistakes.

“grace wants us to try,” pearl said finally. “she’s the reason why i agreed to see you today. i’ve moved on in many ways, but there’s still a part of me that remembers the good times and all the love we had.” dallas reached out and took her hand, a gesture filled with both hope and trepidation.

“i never stopped loving you, pearl. i’ve spent years regretting my choices, but if there’s even a small chance that we could find our way back to each other, i want to try.” pearl’s eyes filled with tears, and she squeezed his hand.

“it won’t be easy dallas, i can assure you that. there’s a lot of hurt to work through. but for grace’s sake, and maybe for ours, i think it’s worth trying.” dallas smiled, his eyes misty with emotion. “thank you, pearl. that means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

they sat there for a while longer, talking about the past, their hopes for the future, and the steps they could take to rebuild their relationship.

as the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the garden, they stood up and walked back into the house together, hand in hand.

inside, the party was in full swing, and grace saw them coming back together. She felt a surge of relief and happiness seeing them holding hands, a sign that maybe, just maybe, things would be okay.

as they rejoined the celebration, pearl and dallas stood by grace, who was surrounded by friends and family. it was a new beginning, a chance to heal old wounds and forge new bonds.

and as the night went on, filled with laughter, love, and hope, grace felt that her wish had come true. her family, in all its complexities and imperfections, was finally coming together.

THE END

ok so i'm actually not doing a/n's anymore, that ruins the stories but anyways, i'm so happy to tell you guys that i'm officially rewriting blossoming romance.

i'm going to unpublish the original (i was 13 when i wrote it, nobody needs to read it anymore) and i'll put up a new version of it.

i'm definitely going to change the plot and i'm going to start writing it very soon, so stay tuned 🩵

stay gold my pookie wookies with a cherry on top