Updated Feb 18, 2026 • ~3 min read
ARCHER
We tell everyone we’re engaged.
Mom cries.
Sierra squeals.
Lennox demands to be maid of honor.
Marcus asks if he can be best man.
“You’re supposed to be dead,” I remind him.
“Minor detail.”
“People will see you at the wedding.”
“So? Malcolm’s dead. The Domenicos are gone. I’m thinking about coming out of witness protection anyway.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’m tired of hiding. Tired of being someone else. I want my life back too.”
I get that.
More than anyone.
“Then yes. You’re my best man.”
He grins.
We set the date.
Six months out.
Small wedding. Close friends and family.
Nothing fancy.
“I just want to marry you,” Willa says. “The rest is details.”
Perfect.
I start teaching in January.
Silvercrest High School.
Room 207.
History.
It’s terrifying.
Thirty teenagers staring at me.
Expecting me to teach them something.
But also exhilarating.
“Mr. Saint?” A student raises her hand.
“Yes?”
“Were you really in the FBI?”
Word got around.
Of course it did.
“I was.”
“Did you, like, catch bad guys?”
“Sometimes.”
“That’s so cool.”
Another student pipes up:
“My mom says you’re dating Ms. Crane. The English teacher.”
I smile.
“Actually, I’m marrying her.”
The class erupts.
Excited chatter.
Questions.
I let them have their moment.
Then redirect.
“Alright, alright. Enough about me. Let’s talk about the Treaty of Versailles.”
Groans.
But they listen.
And I realize:
I love this.
Really love it.
Teaching. Shaping minds. Making a difference.
Not with guns and undercover work.
But with education.
It feels right.
After school, Willa finds me in my classroom.
“How was your first day?”
“Good. Really good.”
“They asked about us, didn’t they?”
“First five minutes.”
She laughs.
“Mine too. Apparently we’re the hot gossip.”
“How scandalous. Two teachers dating.”
“Engaged.”
“Even worse.”
She kisses me.
Right there in my classroom.
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
We go home together.
Our apartment.
Our life.
And I’ve never been happier.
WILLA
Wedding planning is chaos.
Flowers. Venue. Guest list. Cake.
So many decisions.
“Let’s elope,” Archer suggests.
“Tempting. But our families would kill us.”
“True.”
Lennox is in her element.
Organizing. Planning. Controlling.
“I need final numbers by Friday.”
“We have six months, Lennox.”
“Exactly. Only six months. Do you know how fast that goes?”
Sierra helps with dress shopping.
“This one?”
“Too poofy.”
“This one?”
“Too plain.”
“Willa, you’ve rejected fifteen dresses.”
“I’ll know it when I see it.”
And I do.
Dress number eighteen.
Simple. Elegant. Perfect.
“That’s the one.”
Sierra cries.
“You look beautiful.”
I look at myself in the mirror.
Wedding dress.
Engaged.
Marrying Archer Saint.
A year ago, I was alone.
Scared.
Hiding.
Now I’m building a life with the man I love.
“Yeah,” I whisper. “This is the one.”
Three months before the wedding.
Tobias visits.
“Just checking in. Making sure you’re both okay.”
“We’re great,” I say.
“Good. I’m glad.”
He looks at Archer.
“I’m proud of you. For walking away. For choosing happiness.”
“Thanks, Tobias. For everything. For keeping me alive. For letting me protect Willa. For being more than just my boss.”
They shake hands.
Respect and friendship.
“You’re invited to the wedding,” I add.
“I’d be honored.”
After he leaves, Archer is quiet.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Just… processing. That chapter of my life is really over.”
“Any regrets?”
“None. I’m exactly where I want to be.”
He pulls me close.
“With you.”
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