Alina’s POV
I turned to him, curiosity softening my expression. “What do you mean?” I asked.
He paused, looking out at the horizon. “I mean that I want to live differently. I don’t want to just react to life or try to control it. I want to choose it carefully, deliberately.
I want to choose to be present, to be responsible, to be someone who protects rather than manipulates. For Leo. For you. For myself.”
His words carried sincerity, but I knew better than to respond too quickly. Trust was not given; it was earned, built in the quiet, consistent actions of everyday life. And I had seen those actions in him: the patience, the attentiveness, the willingness to step back and let the ordinary moments exist without interference.
We spent the morning collecting driftwood and shells, buildin
