Chapter Six — The Years Between

They returned to Windermere every year. Sometimes they stayed for a week, sometimes only for a weekend, and sometimes they simply drove there for the afternoon because one of them had said, "I miss the lake."

Their favourite bench became their bench. Their favourite café became their café. Their favourite walking path became their path. Every place slowly became part of their story, until the lake itself seemed to belong to them.

Life was not always perfect. There were arguments, difficult days, disappointments and moments when one of them felt tired or lost. But they always came back to each other. Sometimes that meant talking, sometimes it meant apologising, and sometimes it simply meant sitting together until the world felt manageable again.

One evening, after a particularly silly argument about whether James had forgotten their anniversary, they sat silently on their favourite bench.

"You did forget."

"I didn't forget."

"You bought me flowers two days late."

"I was building suspense."

Molly tried not to smile.

"You are impossible."

"And you love me."

She sighed.

"Unfortunately."

James looked at her.

"Fortunately."

She finally laughed, and the argument disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.