The reveal

Tess's words hung in the air, and Decker felt a slight sting from her criticism. He had poured his heart and soul into that substation romance novel, and he was proud of the work he had done. "Wait, what do you mean it's unrealistic?" Decker asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "It's based on my grandfather's life, after all." Tess looked confused, so Decker went on. "This is a true story. I have written verbatim how Grandfather William told me he met Grandma." Tess stodd there, her jaw agape. Decker felt a surge of defensiveness, but he tried to remain calm. "I understand what you're saying," he said. "But this is my grandfather's biography. I want to honor his memory and share his story with the world." Tess took a deep breathe, then smiled softly. "I know that, Decker. And I'm not trying to criticize your intentions. It's just that... well, maybe we can work together to make the story a bit more realistic. Add some nuance, some complexity. Make it feel more like a true biography rather than a romance novel." Decker hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay, I think you might be right," he said. "Let's take a closer look at the manuscript and see what we can do to make it more... technical. I believe that everything happened exactly as he said it was, but I agree that it doesn't read like a textbook on substations." By the way, Grandpa says he has enough for a second book on how he saved Christmas. Tess knew that she was head over heels in love with Decker, and that later that afternoon, they would have sex in his office. Or maybe the supply closet because the office was open concept. And that she would become pregnant the first time they had sex, and even though she loved him deeply, she would not tell him until the baby was being born. But she would insist on having the baby born inside a substation. THE END.

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epilogue