They didn't jump back into love like nothing happened.
They didn't kiss under the stars, or fall into bed that very night.
They talked.
For hours.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeKUwGoW21
At cafes. In the car. Over ice cream while watching Sam run in circles at the park.
Jaimie told Tedd she still cried sometimes, quietly, when she thought of the days she carried Sam alone.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCfLKbiTP2
Tedd told her he still woke up in the middle of the night, gasping with guilt.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU64dNSdtIv
They didn't try to erase those truths.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUueXIozsWz
They let them live—like scars on healed skin.
They saw each other clearly now.
And slowly...
They began again.
Max was the bridge between the cracks.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjdxcoFqFn
He adored Sam and treated him like a real younger brother.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IEnYzrJ0H
He'd help him with puzzles and cartoons and even taught him Ilocano phrases that confused Jaimie.
"Papa what does ay ayatenka mean?"13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbnNWbcQpj
"It means 'I love you.'"13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOumN8if2qs
Sam giggled. "I say that to Mama and you!"
Tedd nearly cried on the spot.
When Max's birthday rolled around, Jaimie surprised all three of them with something unexpected—
"We're going to the Bahamas."
A real vacation.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSLw0LRUi1
No hospitals.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PxAhvOp2K
No tension.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13JrQXyZbY
Just the four of them.
The trip was magic.
Sam held onto Tedd's arm on the plane like it was the only thing keeping him safe.
Jaimie wore sundresses and laughed like she used to.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQuRMSJAef
Max buried Tedd in sand and declared himself the "king of the beach."
They snorkeled.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sRFVFizzb
Danced in a street festival.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuxHqtbiVc
Took a family photo with a stranger's polaroid.
And one night, as the waves crashed softly under moonlight, Tedd tucked a stray curl behind Jaimie's ear and whispered—
"We don't have to rush this. I'll love you even if I wait forever."
But they both knew—
They weren't going to wait much longer.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqC6TYEvoa
