When Daniel finally spoke again, his voice was softer, steadier. "No matter what we uncover… no matter how ugly it gets… I won't make decisions without you."
Anna nodded against his chest. "And I won't walk away when it gets hard."
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, lingering there. "Fair warning," he said lightly, "I'm not good at calm relationships."
She smiled, eyes closing. "Good. I'd be bored."
He chuckled, the sound vibrating through her. "You're really not scared of me, are you?"
She pulled back just enough to look at him. "I am," she admitted honestly. "But not in the way you think."
He studied her face.
"I'm scared of losing you," she said quietly. "So I'm staying."
Something unspoken passed between them—an understanding, fragile but powerful.
Daniel leaned in once more, kissing her slowly, deliberately, as if sealing that choice.
And for the first time in a long while, the war inside him went quiet.
***
