The summer air was golden, warm, and lazy, stretching across the quiet village like honey. Mara leaned back on the soft grass, the sunlight brushing her skin, and her gaze found Theo. He was there beside her, his hand resting near hers, calm and steady as always. There was something about the way he existed in the world—effortless, gentle—that made even the quietest moments feel full of life.
As she watched him, her mind drifted back, three years to the very first time she had seen him.
She had been twenty-two then, carrying her usual mix of ambition and exhaustion. The eldest daughter in her family, she knew all too well the weight of expectation pressing down on her shoulders. Every grade, every achievement, every late night of studying was meant to prove she could meet her father's high standards. She had learned to endure, to bend herself without breaking, and to hope that one day her efforts would be enough.
And then she saw him.
Theo was twenty-seven, tall and composed, yet there was nothing intimidating about him. He moved with a quiet grace, a warmth in his presence that made the air seem lighter. His smile was subtle, genuine, and when he looked at the room—or at her—it was as if he noticed details no one else even saw. Mara had felt it immediately: a pull she couldn't explain, like sunlight slipping through the blinds on a quiet morning.
He was gentle, humble, unassuming—but the calm certainty he carried made her heart skip. She didn't know him, not yet, but already she felt that meeting him might change something inside her. A seed planted quietly, waiting to grow.
Back in the present, Mara's eyes lingered on him, drinking in the ease of his presence, the soft curve of his smile, the way he leaned slightly toward her without even realizing it.
"You're staring again," Theo said, his voice low and teasing, yet filled with that same warmth she had remembered from the very first day.
Mara blinked, startled, and let out a soft laugh. "Am I?" she whispered. "I can't help it. You just… make everything feel lighter."
His lips curved into a slow, affectionate smile, and he reached over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger just a moment too long. "Mara," he murmured, "do you even know how much I adore you? How every little thing about you sticks in my mind?"
Her cheeks warmed at his words, and she squeezed his hand. "I think I do… because I feel the same about you. You notice everything, even the things no one else does. And somehow… you make me feel safe, even when life is messy."
He let out a soft chuckle, resting his forehead lightly against hers. "I don't want to be dramatic, but… I've never felt like this before. With you, it's easy. It's like… home. Even when we're just sitting here, doing nothing."
Mara closed her eyes, savoring the serenity of his presence. The way he looked at her—not with desire, not with possession, but with tenderness and attention—made her heart ache in the most comforting way. "Home," she whispered. "I know what you mean."
They stayed like that for a long moment, hands intertwined, sharing warmth in silence. Theo would occasionally brush his thumb across the back of her hand or rest his head slightly on her shoulder, and Mara let herself relax completely, the pressure of exams and responsibilities melting in the soft evening air.
"Do you ever think about the future?" she asked quietly.
Theo's hand paused in hers, and he tilted his head thoughtfully. "I do," he said. "And… I see us. Quiet mornings, coffee in the kitchen, you laughing at me when I try to cook. Nights like this, stargazing, talking about everything and nothing. I see a life where we care for each other, every single day."
A soft smile spread across Mara's face, a mixture of joy and longing. "That sounds… perfect."
"It will be," he said, brushing a thumb across her cheek. "Because we'll do it together. No pretending, no rushing… just us."
Theo smiled, brushing a gentle hand over hers. He leaned closer, just enough for their foreheads to touch. "Always us," he whispered softly.
Mara felt her heart flutter, a quiet, warm happiness spreading through her chest. And then, in the golden light of the sun , Theo pressed a soft, gentle kiss to her temple. It wasn't dramatic, it wasn't urgent—it was simple, tender, and full of everything his words had promised: care, comfort, and quiet devotion.
Her lips curved into a small smile against his shoulder, and she closed her eyes, letting the moment linger. In that brief, perfect kiss, Mara felt the world soften around them, as if for a moment, everything else could wait.
And with the breeze whispering through the trees and the faint scent of the newly bloomed roses around them, Mara felt a happiness so full it seemed almost impossible to contain. For the first time in a long while, she believed in a love that didn't hurt, that didn't demand, that didn't vanish when life got messy.
She believed in Theo.
And she believed in them….