Chapter 37 — Now That We Know
Mia woke up with a smile.
She stared at the ceiling for a moment, then remembered everything that had happened the night before.
Nathan had said it.
I love you.
And she had said it too.
For years, she had believed love was something that could only bring pain.
Winter had taught her that.
But now, lying in her quiet bedroom, Mia found herself thinking about Nathan instead.
Her husband.
Her childhood best friend.
The man she had never expected to fall in love with.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Mia?"
Nathan.
She sat up immediately.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Nathan stepped inside, holding two cups of coffee.
"I brought you this."
Mia smiled.
"You remembered how I like it."
"I remember everything about you."
She took the cup from him.
"That's a dangerous thing to say."
"Why?"
"Because now that you've admitted you love me, I might start expecting you to remember everything."
Nathan laughed.
"I already do."
Mia looked at him for a moment.
There was something different about seeing him now.
Nothing about his face had changed overnight.
Yet somehow, everything felt different.
Nathan sat beside her.
"So…"
"So?"
"We're really doing this?"
Mia smiled.
"Doing what?"
"Being in love."
She laughed softly.
"I suppose we are."
Nathan took her hand.
"I've wanted to tell you for a while."
"Then why didn't you?"
"Because I was afraid."
Mia looked surprised.
"Afraid of me?"
"Afraid of ruining what we had."
Her expression softened.
"You wouldn't have."
"I know that now."
They sat quietly.
Then Mia leaned closer and rested her head against his shoulder.
Nathan kissed the top of her head.
For once, there was no awkwardness.
No confusion.
They knew.
---
Later that morning, they had breakfast together.
Mia reached for the jam.
Nathan handed it to her before she could ask.
She smiled.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
A few seconds passed.
Mia looked at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're staring again."
"I can stare at my wife."
Mia nearly dropped her spoon.
"Your wife?"
Nathan smiled.
"Yes. My wife."
She shook her head, trying to hide her smile.
"You're going to become unbearable now."
"Probably."
Mia laughed.
Then Nathan reached across the table and gently took her hand.
Mia looked down at their intertwined fingers.
She realized that this small gesture meant more to her than she expected.
For the first time, she wasn't wondering whether their marriage would work.
She wanted it to.
---
That afternoon, Mia had a royal engagement.
Before leaving, she found Nathan waiting near the entrance.
"I'll see you later."
Nathan nodded.
"Have a good afternoon."
Mia took a few steps toward the door.
Then she turned around.
Nathan raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
She walked back to him.
"I forgot something."
"What?"
Mia smiled and kissed him.
It was brief but affectionate.
When she pulled away, Nathan looked amused.
"You forgot that?"
"Apparently."
She turned to leave.
"Mia?"
She looked back.
"I love you."
Her smile grew.
"I love you too."
Then she finally walked away.
Nathan watched her leave with a smile on his face.
---
That evening, Mia returned home exhausted.
She expected Nathan to still be working.
Instead, the lights in the dining room were dimmed, and dinner had already been prepared.
Nathan was waiting.
"You're home."
Mia smiled.
"And you're not working."
"Not tonight."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to spend the evening with my wife."
Mia walked toward him.
"You're becoming very romantic."
"Is that a complaint?"
"Absolutely not."
He took her hand.
They walked toward the table together.
Neither of them knew what the future would bring.
There would be difficult days.
There would be disagreements.
There would be moments when being Prince and Princess would make their lives complicated.
But tonight, none of that mattered.
They had spent years finding their way back to each other.
And now that they finally knew what they felt…
neither wanted to let go.