The city bus groans to a stop at the edge of the dirt road leading into Pelican Town. Before the doors can even fully open, Elliott is already bounding down the steps, his worn leather rucksack swinging wildly over his shoulder. Elliott had been counting the days until he’d see you again. His book tour had gone well, and though he was immeasurably grateful for the opportunity to share his book with others, the prospect of leaving home was no longer quite so alluring as when he was a bachelor.

The crisp spring air is thick with the scent of blooming wildflowers and freshly tilled soil, but none of it matters, not when he sees you standing by the gate, sunlight catching on the soft edges of your face. “Darling!” he calls, his voice breaking with unrestrained joy. With a delighted laugh, Elliott closes the space between you, wrapping you in an embrace so tight it nearly lifts you off the ground. “I missed you terribly,” he breathes, the words tumbling out like a confession as his buries his nose in your hair.