A few weeks later, Grace was strong enough to return to the wild. Standing together at the edge of Lake Junaluska, they released her, watching in silence as she spread her wings and disappeared across the water. It was a beautiful goodbye—and a quiet beginning. As they stood hand-in-hand, something unspoken passed between them: this wasn’t just about a swan anymore.
Their story continued into the late summer with hikes through the Blue Ridge Mountains, long talks on the porch, and their first kiss by the French Broad River. Emily began working on a new photo series inspired by Grace’s journey—one that was, in many ways, her own story, too.
As the leaves started to turn and the air hinted at fall, Ethan invited her back to Lake Junaluska “to catch a sunset.” With her camera in hand and a heart full of something more than hope, Emily had a feeling this wasn’t just any sunset—it was the start of the rest of their story.
