Alina’s POV
Leo returned from play, exhausted but radiant. We tucked him into bed. He held my hand and whispered, “I love you, Mama.”
“I love you too,” I whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.
Once he was asleep, I stepped onto the porch, letting the cool night air brush my skin. Moonlight shimmered across the waves.
Sebastian joined me silently, standing beside me without expectation or words. Presence alone was enough.
I thought of the small ring he had returned weeks ago. It was not a proposal yet, but it was a quiet symbol of possibility, a patient promise. I did not wear it. I simply held it in my mind, feeling the weight of hope, trust, and slow, deliberate love.
We remained there, letting the night deepen. The past was behind us. The present belonged to us. And th
