Aldric hugged her back, his arms tightening instinctively, as if the difference in the way she held him now marked a new beginning. Her hug was not that of pity. It was something more. Something filled with love. His cheek pressed into the softness of her hair, and he gently kissed the corner of her head.
"So… this means you'll marry me?" he asked, his voice low but filled with a rare warmth.
His heart leaped, nearly breaking free of its cage. Amid the dark clouds of their reality, this was an undeniable and unwavering light he could grasp. Finally, he could have her by his side, resting on his chest, belonging to his heart and soul.
He was glad he opened up to her. Now he felt like flying.
Sylvia lifted her head, her hazel eyes glittering in the faint light beneath the stairs, defiant yet tender. "Tell me again, Aldric. Why do you want to marry me?"
She wanted to hear it over and over, like a lifeline she could cling to.
