The Garden of Forgotten Promises
A Contemporary Romance
Chapter 1: The Locked Gate
Ivy hadn’t planned to return to Rosewood Manor.
The old estate sat at the edge of town, abandoned for years, its once-beautiful gardens now tangled with weeds.
But when she received a letter from a lawyer saying she had inherited the property, she had no choice.
The moment she arrived, memories flooded back—
Of summers spent beneath the willow tree.
Of laughter echoing through the gardens.
And of Nathaniel Carter, the boy she had once loved… and lost.
Chapter 2: The Man Behind the Door
She never expected to see him again.
But when she unlocked the old greenhouse, she froze.
Nathaniel stood there, dirt on his hands, his hazel eyes widening in shock.
“Ivy?”
Her heart slammed against her ribs. “What are you doing here?”
He exhaled. “I never left.”
Chapter 3: The Seeds of the Past
Years ago, Ivy had promised to stay.
But life had pulled her away.
Nathaniel had written, called, waited.
And when she never returned, he had stayed behind, tending the gardens alone—keeping their memories alive.
“I thought you forgot,” he admitted, voice quiet.
She swallowed hard. “I never forgot.”
Chapter 4: Growing Back Together
Over the next few weeks, they worked side by side.
Pulling weeds. Replanting flowers.
Rebuilding what they had lost.
Slowly, the walls between them crumbled.
One evening, as the sun painted the sky in gold, Ivy turned to him.
“I should have come back sooner.”
Nathaniel smiled. “You’re here now.”
And then, he kissed her.
Soft. Certain.
Like no time had passed at all.
Epilogue: A Love in Bloom
Months later, the garden was alive again.
Vines climbing the stone walls. Roses blooming in every shade.
And in the very center, beneath the willow tree—
A carved wooden bench.
With an inscription that read:
“For Ivy & Nathaniel—A Love That Never Faded.”
Because some promises are never truly forgotten.
They just wait to be fulfilled.