Antonio's POV
The night air was cooler on the terrace, with just enough breeze to make Selene tuck closer under my arm. The stars above Paris glimmered like they knew something we didn't — or maybe, they were just proud. Proud of how far we'd come.
We sat with mugs of chamomile tea, the last of the evening's dishes cleared, the families slowly drifting off to their guest rooms. Everyone was full — of food, of laughter, of acceptance.
I looked down at Selene. She had her knees curled up on the seat, her head resting lightly on my shoulder.
"What if we bought a place here?" I asked quietly.
Her head rose just a little. "Here? In Paris?"
"Yeah." I nodded toward the quiet neighborhood beyond the iron railing. "Not far from everyone. A place that's just… ours."
She blinked, clearly surprised. "You've thought about that?"
"I've thought about everything." I smiled, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Where we'd paint the walls. What kind of mugs you'd insist on buying. Whether you'd hog the bed or not."
She let out a soft laugh. "I won't. You'll just always end up on my side."
"That's the plan."
Her laughter melted into something quieter. Her hand found mine and held on.
"I want that too," she whispered. "But there's more I want to do before we settle. I want to launch that design line Ayra and I dreamed of. I want to travel with you without worrying about time. I want us to keep building... but slowly. Right?"
I nodded. "Slow's good. We've already raced through the storms. Now we deserve slow."
She shifted to face me more fully. "When I'm ready… when we both are, we'll know. But Antonio?"
"Yeah?"
She brushed her fingers along my jaw. "No matter the pace, I've already chosen you."
My throat tightened. There was something grounding about her words — like they anchored every reckless part of me.
"You're it, Selene Adele Laurent. You've always been it."
We kissed under the stars, not out of urgency, but out of certainty. A promise sealed without needing ceremony. Just us, dreaming of a life we'd walk into together — hand in hand.