AGAIN || MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE

Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Charles

6 Years Later

The yacht club is quieter than usual this morning. Céline and I have been sitting by the large window for half an hour now. She's sipping her usual Vanilla Latte, while I just ordered a coffee. The morning has been perfect so far. 'And then mum got distracted, and there was smoke everywhere!' James has been talking nonstop since we arrived, his little voice animated with excitement. He rests on the lap of the woman sitting across from me, who now smiles, flustered.

Typical.

Getting distracted, blushing and smiling even when her child is revealing her little messes. 'Okay, James, baby, why don't you read your new book for a bit?' She gently suggests, pulling a book from her bag and handing it to him. As she shifts her focus entirely to the little boy on her knees, I get lost in watching her. My gaze drifts to the diamond ring on her finger, then trails all over her.

She's changed since the last time I saw her six years ago.

Now she's a grown woman.

A mother.

A wife. She couldn't look better.

'I'm sorry. What were we saying?' Céline's voice pulls me back, her expression open, as if she's bracing for the inevitable questions after all these years.

'It's crazy how he can already speak two languages at this age.' It's the first thing that comes to mind after hearing James switch effortlessly from English to French.

'Yeah, I thought it would be much harder teaching him French. I was terrified at first.' She admits and I nod, understanding in a way she probably doesn't expect. 'I know it's not the same, but I'm terrified too. Juliette's due in a month, and I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't even know how to hold a newborn.' Céline bursts into laughter, and I immediately feel stupid.

'Well, neither do I. James was three when we adopted him.' Idiot. I didn't even think before speaking. Scratching the back of my head, I feel my face heat up.

'I'm sorry, Lin. That completely slipped my mind.' She shakes her head, silently telling me there's no need to apologize. 'You know, we adopted him from the same orphanage in London where I was adopted.' I didn't expect that. A slow smile curls my lips as I watch her, a mix of admiration and surprise settling in.

'How many times did you guys go back and forth between New York and London?' I ask, not because it really matters, but because I want to hear her talk about everything we missed, everything we couldn't share.

'Too many times to count.' She says with a soft laugh. 'But the last one was the best because James was finally coming home with us.'

Bittersweet. That's the only word for it. She's living her dream, but with someone else. I try to smile, try to show her that I'm happy for her. And the thing is, I really am. 'That's amazing, Céline. I know it probably sounds cliché, but I mean it. Knowing you finally got what you always wanted makes me happy.' Deep down, I know she made the right decision for both of us. My biggest dream was always to have children, to be a father, to raise them in my hometown. And six years ago, I thought I was ready to give all of that up to be with her. But now I see it clearly, giving up those dreams would've eventually torn us apart. I look at James, watching the way Céline holds him close, how she instinctively tucks his hair behind his ear. He has no idea how much he means to her, how he's changed her life in the most beautiful way.

'I'm glad we ran into each other today. The chances were so small.' She says, sensing my silence and trying to keep the conversation going. She plays absentmindedly with the ring on her finger, glancing at me as if searching for the right words. But for once, neither of us knows what to say. 'We have Liam to thank, then. He dragged me all over Monaco this afternoon. Otherwise, I'd never have come down here on a Saturday. Fans are crazy, always following me around!' I admit, half-joking about Liam's role in all of this. After I returned to racing that year, I apologized to him, and somehow, we found our way back to being good friends. He helped me a lot in those first months. He even introduced me to Juliette. I owe him more than I could ever put into words. A small smile creeps onto my lips as I think back to the first time I met her.