Never Not You

Leah's Plan pt.3

Leah held Aurora's hands a little tighter, her eyes shining with emotion. She took a deep breath before speaking, her voice soft and trembling, but filled with all the love she could never quite put into words.

"Rory," she began, staring into those warm, familiar eyes that had seen her at her best and her absolute worst. "I don't even know where to start because there's so much to say, but... I love you. I love you more than I could ever explain, more than I even thought was possible."

She paused, feeling her heart race. The weight of everything she wanted to say, everything she felt, pressed down on her chest in the best way.

"I love you, and I love Mateo," Leah continued, her gaze flicking briefly to their son, happily playing nearby. "I love our little family so much it scares me sometimes. Every time I see you smile at me, I swear I still get butterflies like the first time we met. And every time I get to kiss you, it feels like I've won some sort of cosmic lottery. Like how is this my life? How did I get so fucking lucky to have you?"

Aurora smiled, her eyes softening as she squeezed Leah's hands, silently urging her on.

Leah took another breath, her voice becoming steadier as she spoke from her heart. "God, when I see you—whether you're dressed up in one of your killer outfits or just... wearing those random old clothes you dig out of the closet—I can't believe I get to call you mine. Even when you're in sweats or one of my old t-shirts, you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen. And when I see you naked... baby, it's like I've died and gone to heaven. Every time."

Aurora let out a small laugh, and Leah chuckled too, shaking her head. "No, seriously. Every time I wake up next to you, I feel like I've won all over again. I'm just so happy, Rory. So damn happy."

Her smile faltered just a little, and she looked down for a second, gathering the courage to keep going. When she looked up again, her voice was quieter but filled with even more emotion.

"You're the only person I've ever loved like this. The only person I'll ever love like this. And I never want to think about losing you again. God, when we... when we weren't together, it was the worst time of my life. I didn't know what to do without you. And now... I just feel so grateful. So fucking grateful that you forgave me. That you still loved me enough to give us another chance. I'll never stop being thankful for that, for you."

Aurora blinked rapidly, her eyes misting over, but Leah pressed on, her voice thick with emotion.

"I'm so lucky, Rory. So lucky to have you and Mateo. You're both everything to me, and I never take a single moment with you for granted. Every moment, every laugh, every quiet night on the couch, it's all perfect because it's with you. And I just... I want more. I want so much more with you."

Aurora's breath hitched slightly, her eyes now wet as Leah's words settled deep into her heart.

"I want more time together, more memories, more kids if that's what we decide," Leah said, her voice breaking slightly on the last part. "I want more years of loving you, more everything, because you are my everything. You always have been, and you always will be."

Leah swallowed, her heart pounding in her chest as she reached up to touch Aurora's cheek, her thumb brushing away a stray tear.

"I knew from the moment we met that you were going to be important to me. I didn't know how much, but I knew. And now... God, I didn't know it was possible to love someone this much. To love someone this way. I've loved you for so long, Rory. And I just... I want to keep loving you. For the rest of my life, I want to be the one who gets to love you. The one who gets to be loved by you."

Aurora's tears were falling freely now, her heart so full it felt like it might burst. But she said nothing, just staring at Leah with all the love in the world.