Chapter 5: Second Chances and Shattered Fairy Tales

When Carter was cleared, I hosted a poetry reading for him and invited writers from all over to share their work.

The community center glowed with wildflowers and strings of fairy lights. The smell of coffee and fresh-baked cookies filled the air. Poets from neighboring towns read verses about hope and second chances. Carter stood in the corner, looking uncomfortable in a borrowed suit, but I could see the gratitude in his eyes. My heart fluttered as I watched him.

The spring sunlight was warm and gentle. I tried to comfort Carter.

We sat on the porch steps, the sun warming our faces. I squeezed his hand, offering a smile I hoped would reassure him. “You’re free now, Carter. It’s all behind you.”

“This is a new beginning. Everything will get better.”

I tried to sound confident, even though I wasn’t sure I believed it myself. Still, I wanted him to know I was there for him, no matter what the future held.

I didn’t expect him to say anything sweet, so after that, I turned to admire the poems.

The crowd applauded as another poet finished reading, and I let the rhythm of the words wash over me. The world felt lighter, just for a moment.

But then Carter spoke up.

His voice was hesitant, barely louder than a whisper, but it cut through the noise like a bell. I turned, surprised, my heart skipping a beat.

“Autumn, will you marry me?”

He looked at me with a vulnerability I’d never seen before. His eyes shone with something like hope. I froze, the world tilting for a second as his words hung in the air.

His expression was uncharacteristically gentle, and for once, there was real affection in his eyes as he looked at me.

My cheeks flushed. My heart fluttered in my chest. It was the moment I’d dreamed of for so long, and I could hardly believe it was real.

Blushing, I nodded.

The crowd erupted in applause, and a wave of happiness crashed over me. For the first time in a long while, I let myself believe in happy endings.

That night, the moonlight finally felt like it was on my side.

That night, I stood on the porch, staring up at the sky, letting the cool air fill my lungs. The moon was bright and full, casting a silver glow over the world. I closed my eyes, savoring the peace, letting hope settle quietly in my chest.

At the end of the poetry reading, Carter was searching for me, looking worried.

He wove through the crowd, scanning faces, his brow furrowed. I saw him weaving between tables, asking after me, and my heart skipped a beat. For the first time, he seemed genuinely nervous, as if something important was missing.

“Autumn, have you seen my wooden whistle?”

His voice sounded almost frantic, tight with concern. I shook my head, confused, wondering why the whistle mattered so much to him now.

When I shook my head, he looked utterly lost.

His shoulders slumped, and I saw a flicker of panic in his eyes. It was as if losing the whistle was losing a piece of himself, something he couldn’t replace.

I frowned and immediately asked people to search everywhere. My stomach twisted with anxiety—what if it was really gone? I called out to the crowd, feeling a little foolish but too worried to care.

Oddly enough, that whistle had never left Carter’s side, but today it had just vanished.

It was almost uncanny—he was always so careful with it, never letting it out of his sight. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something strange was happening, something I couldn’t quite explain.

When we found it, it was in the hands of a young woman.

She was new in town, a stranger to most of us. She held the whistle delicately, turning it over in her hands as if trying to solve a puzzle. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and for a moment, I felt a pang of jealousy.

I watched her closely, my heart pounding with dread. She seemed oblivious to the tension in the air, lost in her own world as she studied the whistle.

When I saw her about to put the whistle to her lips, I frowned in displeasure.

A cold knot formed in my stomach, and I stepped forward, ready to stop her. I couldn’t bear the thought of someone else unlocking Carter’s heart, not after everything we’d been through.

Just as I was about to stop her, Carter held me back.

His hand closed gently around my wrist, holding me in place. I looked up, confused and hurt, searching his face for answers.

I turned to him in confusion, only to see him staring intently at the woman.

His eyes were wide, his expression unreadable. I could see something shifting in him, something I’d never seen before. It was like watching a door open, letting in a gust of wind that changed everything.

As the whistle sounded, my heart sank.

The note was clear and sweet, ringing out across the lawn. It felt like the world had tilted, like everything I’d hoped for was slipping through my fingers. I stood frozen, unable to move, as Carter’s gaze locked onto the woman.

On the very day Carter finally asked me to marry him, the one he’d been waiting for showed up.

It was cruel, almost laughable. I wanted to scream, to cry, but all I could do was stand there, watching as fate played its hand. The fairy tale I’d clung to for so long had ended before it even began.