In the Blink of an Eye

Epilogue

2024

The city was buzzing outside their apartment window, the lights of the skyline twinkling like stars—except they were probably much more expensive than the stars. Inside, though, it was calm. Well, calm except for the pile of laundry on the couch that neither of them had bothered to deal with for the last three days.

Taylor sat cross-legged on the couch, her coffee cup in one hand and her phone in the other, scrolling through some meme she probably shouldn't be laughing at. She could hear Travis in the kitchen, banging around as he pretended to be the world's worst chef.

She glanced up just in time to see him standing in the doorway, holding a bowl of what could only be described as an "experiment gone wrong." He had that look on his face—the one he always got when he was proud of something, even if it was a disaster.

"So, I'm thinking we're just going to call this 'gourmet' and not mention the burnt bits?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Taylor snorted into her coffee. "That's the same thing you said last time, and I still haven't figured out if you're joking or not. I'm not sure I'm ready to trust you with actual food."

He set the bowl down in front of her, still smiling like he was some kind of culinary genius. "Hey, I'm just saying—'gourmet' is subjective. You're getting a front-row seat to history here."

She looked at it, then back at him. "I'm sorry, but I think history would prefer if I didn't eat that."

Travis threw his hands up in mock defeat. "Fine. You don't appreciate art."

She grinned, teasing him. "I'll appreciate it from a safe distance. Now, how about we get some takeout like normal people?"

"Deal," he said, sitting down beside her. "But I still expect a standing ovation for my effort. Even if it's just me clapping for myself."

The two of them sat there, the hum of the city outside blending with the easy banter between them. There was something so simple about this moment, so comfortably ordinary, yet it was extraordinary in its own way.

Because, despite everything—the time apart, the uncertainty, the crazy idea of love from the future—they were here. Together. In a way that felt like the most natural thing in the world.

They hadn't known it at the time, but fate had a plan for them. It had thrown them together when neither one was looking, made them question the impossible, and then, piece by piece, it had shown them how to make it work.

Through the chaos, the distance, the misunderstandings, they had found their way to this very moment—a moment where, despite all the mess and the madness, it all made sense. They had fought for it, they had stumbled through it, but in the end, they had made it. And that was something that couldn't be denied.

As Travis took another sip of her coffee, his eyes softening as he looked at her, Taylor realized that she hadn't just let fate happen. She had actively chosen it. Chosen him. And somewhere between the awkward "first" meeting, the ridiculous misunderstandings, and the undeniable pull between them, they had carved out something that was theirs.

In the end, it didn't matter how they got here, just that they had.

Perhaps fate had known precisely what it was doing all along.

A/N: I really hope this ending doesn't disappoint! I'll admit, I wasn't entirely sure how to end it, but I gave it my best shot. If you've enjoyed reading this story, I've got some good news—I've already started working on a new one! Thank you for reading and staying with me until the end. I hope you'll check out what I'm working on next!