While Tom and Anna disappeared into their island escape, Mark and Arin were left to find their own rhythm.
Being together was still new. Mark, usually steady and confident in everything else, found himself second-guessing every word, every gesture. Arin, on the other hand, carried a quiet fear—wondering if their years apart meant they didn't know each other as well as they thought.
Some nights, they would argue about small things—where to eat, what movie to watch, even silly choices about walking left or right. But those arguments never lasted. Mark would always give in, muttering something like, "Fine, you win," and Arin would laugh, holding his arm tighter as if to say she didn't want distance between them.
Then came the night that changed everything.
It wasn't planned. They had gone back to the beach where Mark had first proposed. The moon was bright, the air warm, and they talked for hours about their childhood—about the days when they were just two friends with no idea how the world would change.
When Arin leaned on his shoulder, Mark placed his hand over hers. Neither of them moved away. Instead, the silence grew heavier, filled with something unsaid. When their eyes finally met, the distance between them broke.
The kiss came first, soft at the start, but deepened as if years of separation were pouring out at once. Mark hesitated, afraid to push too far, but Arin whispered, "It's okay… I trust you."
That night, they crossed the line from friendship into something far more intimate. It wasn't perfect—they were nervous, clumsy, both uncertain of the new step—but it was filled with honesty and warmth.
Weeks later, Arin began to feel unwell. At first, she hid it, thinking it was nothing. But when she missed her cycle, fear mixed with hope in her heart. She went alone to check, and when the truth was confirmed, she sat still for a long time, holding her stomach in disbelief.
She was pregnant.
When she finally told Mark, he froze. For a moment, his silence scared her.Then he stepped forward, hugged her tightly, and whispered, "It's fast… but it doesn't matter. We'll face it together."
Tears slipped down Arin's cheeks—not of sadness, but relief.
That was how Arin became pregnant earlier than Anna. Not because they had planned for it, but because love and trust had found them too quickly, surprising them both.
From that day on, Mark changed. He became more protective, more serious, often reminding Arin not to overwork herself. And though he was scared deep inside, he tried to hide it with strength.
Arin, meanwhile, carried both joy and worry in her heart. She wondered if they were ready, if it was too soon. But whenever Mark held her hand and told her, "You're not alone," she believed him.
And so, even as Tom and Anna dreamed on their island, Mark and Arin quietly started the first chapter of their own family—unexpected, unplanned, but real.