Summary - Autumn and Winter on the evening of the prom night reveal.
Autumn was exhausted. She'd used every bit of her strength earlier while repeatedly slamming her bat into her Fathers obnoxiously expensive car. It wasn't news to her that her Father was a monster, but learning that her 20 year estrangement from Reece had been his doing had still shaken Autumn to her core.
As she arrived home she got out of her car and watched as Winters car pulled up behind hers almost immediately. He'd come running to the nursery as soon as Marjorie had called him - he was supposed to be off work, as his food poisoning still hadn't completely subsided. The couple entered the house together in silence, both still trying to process that afternoons events.
Winter knew that Mia's revelation had cut Autumn deeply. The way the world had treated his beautiful love made him so angry - she'd never been given a chance. Beneath her cold exterior lay the woman that Winter would die for. He would never pressure her or push her. If she needed to talk, he would listen. If she wanted to sit in silence, he'd sit with her. If she needed physical affection, he would devote himself to her pleasure. And if she wanted to be alone, he would wait for her call.
That evening after dinner Winter suggested they watch Casablanca together and cuddle on the sofa. Autumn agreed and as the couple got settled under a blanket, Winter felt his love place her hand over his heart. It was something she did when she felt anxious, his heartbeat helped to soothe her racing mind.
For a little while they watched the film without speaking, simply enjoying the warmth and comfort of their embrace. Eventually, Autumn quietly said "Winter?"
"Yes my love?" He hadn't been sure if she'd want to talk about anything yet, so he wasn't sure what might come next.
"What did I do to deserve everything that happened to me?"
Winters heart sank as he heard the pain in her voice. His beautiful little broken bird, her wings clipped before she'd even learnt to fly. He hated her Father with such a burning passion, how dare he treat Autumn this way. How could her Mother have abandoned her children, leaving them with that monster?
"Nothing my darling" he replied gently. "You did absolutely nothing to deserve the things you've been through." There was a slight pause, but then he felt it.
Autumn had started to cry. What began as a small sniffle soon escalated into body shaking sobs. She was clutching Winters shirt and he could see that her tears were dropping down onto his chest. Winter held her tightly and as she rested her head in the crook of his neck he began to delicately stroke her hair. This was a first for their relationship - Autumn had never sobbed like this in front of Winter. She was so strong and he knew that she hated feeling weak or pathetic, so crying was difficult for her.
As he continued to stroke her hair he spoke to her softly, hoping his words could offer some semblance of comfort. "My sweet, you are so powerful. Even after everything you shine so brightly. Your parents didn't deserve you and their actions are not a reflection of your worth. No matter what, you have me now my darling, and you know I would do anything for you. Your heart is safe now my love, I've got it."
As her sobbing started to subside, Autumn thought carefully about Winters words. She'd never believed in soulmates before but now she knew they were real. Winter had never been afraid of her, in fact he'd always seen right through her tough exterior. He'd handled her heart with such tenderness, slowly chipping away at the layers of ice Autumn surrounded it with to protect herself. Now she had no protection, but she didn't feel scared.
Winter was her safe space.
