The Moment Everything Changed
I was just finishing up the meatloaf—extra gravy, the way he likes it—when the front door burst open.
“Hey, stranger!” Jace’s voice boomed through the house, loud and full of life. He smelled like diesel and open roads, but his grin was as warm as ever. The second his eyes landed on the plate in my hands, they lit up like I was holding gold.
“Is that meatloaf?” he asked, already dropping his duffel bag like he owned the place.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Mashed potatoes and green beans too. Your favorite.”
He groaned like a starving man. “Marry me.“
From the couch, my girlfriend Kaylee chuckled. This was the first time they’d met in person, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous.
Jace is a long-haul trucker, so I only see him once a month. When he’s in town, he crashes at my place. It’s my way of keeping him grounded—giving him a home when the road gets lonely.
Kaylee and I had only been living together for two months, and she was away last time he visited. Bad timing, I guess.
Dinner seemed fine at first.
I set the plates down while Kaylee quietly put together her own meal. No big deal—she’s picky, and I’ve never taken it personally.
Jace, though? He devoured his food like a man who hadn’t seen a home-cooked meal in weeks. (Which, to be fair, he hadn’t.) Between bites, he glanced at Kaylee’s plate.
“You don’t like this?” he asked, nodding at the meatloaf.
She shrugged. “Not big on meatloaf. Or gravy. Or mashed potatoes.”
Jace raised an eyebrow and shot me a look. Something flickered across his face—just for a second—but he didn’t say anything else.
Then my phone rang.
It was my mom, panicked. “There’s water everywhere—the pipe burst! Can you come help?”
I hesitated, looking between Kaylee and Jace.
“Go,” Kaylee said, waving me off. “We’ll be fine.”
Famous last words.
An hour later, I came back soaked, smelling like bleach, and ready to crash on the couch. But the second I walked in, I knew something was wrong.
They were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, stiff as statues, staring at the TV like it was the most interesting thing in the world. The air between them was charged—like right before a storm hits.
Kaylee stood up the second she saw me.
“I’m going to bed,” she muttered, avoiding eye contact.
I frowned. “Everything okay?”
Jace just shrugged. “We watched Wheel of Fortune. You didn’t miss much.”
But his tone made my stomach twist.
Upstairs, Kaylee was already in bed, turned toward the wall. She wasn’t asleep—her breathing was too controlled.
“Hey,” I said softly. “What’s going on?”
Silence.
The next day was weird.
I made pancakes—fluffy, golden, the kind Kaylee loves—but she barely touched them. “I have errands,” she said, rushing out.
At lunch, I whipped up grilled cheese and tomato soup. Jace scarfed his down, but Kaylee just shook her head. “Already ate.”
She kept dodging him—suddenly needing to “run to Target” or “take a walk.”
I thought maybe they just didn’t click. But the truth? Way worse.
The second Jace left, Kaylee grabbed my arm. “We need to talk.”
My heart pounded.
“He can’t stay here,” she said, voice tight. “Not after what he said last night.”
I blinked. “What did he say?”
Her hands shook. “He told me it was awful that I don’t appreciate your cooking. Then he said… ‘If I were in your place, I wouldn’t do that.’“
I frowned. That didn’t sound like Jace. “That’s not—”
“There’s more,” she cut in. “I pushed him, and he finally admitted it.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “He’s in love with you.“
My chest ached.
“Kaylee…” I didn’t even know what to say.
“Ask him to leave,” she pleaded. “Please.”
I couldn’t. Not yet.
That night, I crashed at my mom’s, pretending I was helping with the pipe damage. Really? I was drowning in my own thoughts.
Had I been blind this whole time? The way I counted down the days until Jace’s visits… the way my heart lit up when he walked in… Was that just friendship? Or something more?
The next day, I met Jace at our old diner—the one where we used to drink terrible coffee and eat worse pie.
He sat down, looked me dead in the eye, and said, “Kaylee told you, huh?”
I nodded. “Is it true?”
He took a deep breath. “Yeah. I didn’t mean to say it, but… I don’t regret it.”
And just like that—everything made sense.
When I got home, Kaylee was folding laundry, her movements stiff. I tried to explain, but the words tumbled out all wrong.
She held up a hand. “Stop. I get it.” Her voice was quiet, sad. “You two fit. I saw it before you did.”
We packed her things in silence. What else was there to say?
At the door, we hugged—long and tight, like neither of us wanted to let go.
Three Years Later
We sent Kaylee a wedding invitation, not expecting her to come. But as we lined up for photos, I spotted her at the edge of the courtyard—wearing blue, smiling softly.
I rushed over and pulled her into a hug.
She laughed. “Told you you’d be happy together.”
And just like that, the last knot in my chest finally loosened.