Prologue
Some meetings arrive quietly. Others feel as though the universe has leaned in and whispered, Pay
attention—this matters.
I did not know it then, but the night I met him in Bali would become a beginning I would carry for the rest of my life.
For two years, I had chosen solitude. No dating. No expectations. I had learned how to protect my heart
by keeping it closed. Bali was not meant to be the place where that changed—it was simply where I was living, working, surviving, learning how to stand again after disappointments that had taught me caution.
And yet, on one ordinary night, the universe chose otherwise.
Bali, September 5
We met on September 5, 2025, at a small pub in Bali.
I arrived early and waited for almost an hour, my nerves growing heavier with every passing minute. I remember wondering why I had agreed to come at all. I wasn't even sure I wanted to like him. I felt awkward, guarded, and far from confident.
When he finally walked in, something shifted. Not dramatically—just enough to make me breathe
easier.
We ordered drinks. Conversation came slowly at first, then more naturally. Two hours passed without
effort—talking, laughing, sharing stories over beer. Eventually, we left the bar and went for dinner
nearby, where the conversation deepened. He listened in a way that felt rare. He didn't rush to impress;
he was simply present.
What surprised me most was how quickly I felt comfortable. I hadn't expected that. The way he carried
himself, the softness of his smile, the ease between us—it disarmed me.
Later that night, we returned to his hotel. I hesitated. This wasn't something I usually did. But he never
pushed, never rushed me. He made me feel safe, cared for, and respected. That was what convinced me
to stay.
Looking back, it feels as if the universe had quietly aligned everything. I had taken time off work for no
clear reason. I had agreed to meet a stranger when I normally wouldn't have. Nothing felt forced, yet
everything felt intentional.
From that night on, we kept seeing each other. Slowly, carefully, something real began to grow.