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Chapter 47 – Everything I Wanted
Arya's POV
It's the little things that tell you a man has changed.
Like how Damon now wakes up before me just to prepare Liam's breakfast — even though he still somehow burns the toast. Or how he checks in three times a day if he's at the office, asking if Liam took his nap or if I've eaten. Or how, when he walks through the door at night, he goes straight to Liam's room before even greeting me.
It used to feel like I was raising our son alone, carrying the weight of a broken marriage on my back while painting smiles to hide the cracks. But now… that weight is gone.
And in its place is Damon — fully present, deeply committed, and somehow even more in love than before.
I was standing by the window that morning, watching him chase Liam around the backyard, his laughter loud and careless as Liam squealed with joy. The sunlight bathed them both in gold, and I stood still, soaking in the picture in front of me like it was the final piece in a painting I'd waited years to finish.
This… this was what I had always dreamed of.
"Got you!" Damon shouted, lifting Liam into the air, both of them breathless with laughter. Liam threw his head back and clung to his father's neck, his tiny arms wrapping around Damon's shoulders with all the trust in the world.
And the way Damon held him — like he was the most fragile, precious thing — made my heart ache in the best way.
They came back inside a few minutes later, both sweaty and red-faced, but grinning from ear to ear. Damon's shirt was stained with grass and juice from Liam's earlier snack, but he looked so happy, I couldn't even bring myself to comment.
"Mommy, Daddy runs so slow!" Liam giggled, collapsing on the rug with dramatic flair.
"I let you win," Damon teased, ruffling his hair.
"Liar," Liam said proudly, and Damon burst into laughter.
I walked over, holding a glass of water for him. "You two sound like you've conquered a mountain."
"We basically did," Damon said, taking the glass from me and brushing a kiss to my cheek. "He's fast. I'm getting old."
"You're thirty-two," I laughed. "You're not old."
"I am when I'm chasing a dinosaur in human form."
Liam roared like a T-Rex on cue, and Damon groaned in mock terror before pretending to faint. I watched the two of them play on the floor, Damon fully immersed in our son's world, no phones, no distractions, no distance.
And that's when it hit me again — the depth of his transformation.
There were days I used to beg for this. Nights I'd lie awake wondering if I was foolish to still love him. But somewhere along the line, love had finally reached him. Not the love that demanded, but the love that endured.
He caught me watching him and smiled, that same soft, dimpled smile I used to fall for before everything went cold between us.
"Why are you staring?" he asked, playfully.
"Just thinking," I murmured.
He stood and walked over to me, his hands settling on my waist as he leaned down to kiss my forehead. "About?"
"How happy I am," I whispered.
He brushed his fingers down my cheek. "I still wake up scared sometimes. That I'll turn around and you'll be gone. That I'll lose this."
"You won't," I said, placing my hand over his heart. "You're not that man anymore."
He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against mine. "It's crazy how being away from you — from Liam — even for a single day feels like I'm walking around without my heart."
I swallowed. I knew he meant it.
"I used to think I had everything — power, respect, control. But I was empty," he murmured. "Now I miss you both just stepping out to get coffee."
I smiled softly. "You've become a different man, Damon. A better one."
"And you… you gave me the chance to try."
Liam ran between us again, giggling and reaching for Damon's legs. "Daddy, let's build the train track!"
Damon knelt down immediately. "Let's do it, champ."
I watched them build together, Damon following every instruction like Liam was the CEO of the house. And in that moment, I felt something that went beyond love, beyond gratitude.
I felt fulfilled.
Not because everything was perfect — life never is. But because I had everything that mattered. A partner who had learned from his mistakes. A son who was thriving in love. And a peace in my heart I never thought I'd have again.
Later that evening, I tucked Liam into bed while Damon read the last pages of his storybook. Liam fought sleep, like always, until Damon kissed his forehead and whispered, "I'll be right here when you wake up."
Back in our bedroom, I slipped into bed, and Damon joined me a moment later. He turned to me in the dim light, his hand sliding into mine under the covers.
"You look peaceful," he whispered.
"I feel peaceful."
He leaned over and kissed me, slow and sure. "I promise I'll never stop trying to be the man you both deserve."
I looked into his eyes, full of sincerity and warmth.
"You already are."
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