The sky was painted in soft shades of pink and orange as the sun began to set over the edge of the campus. Steve was waiting by the bench—the one where everything between them had truly started. Michelle approached quietly, her hair dancing in the breeze, and when she saw him, her heart skipped a beat.
He smiled. Stood up. And without a word, pulled her into a tight embrace.
"I didn't want to let you out of my sight all day," he whispered.
Michelle smiled against his chest. "I know. But… today I needed to face something on my own."
"You did. I was so proud of you, I could barely keep myself from running up there on stage."
She let out a soft laugh. "I'm glad you didn't. But I felt you there. And that was enough."
They sat down on the bench. The silence between them wasn't heavy—it was like taking a deep breath after a long run.
"You know," Steve said quietly, "sometimes I wonder if I should speak up more. Defend you louder. Be more… visible."
Michelle placed her hand gently on his.
"No. Because you've always been there. And you speak when it really matters. That's what taught me to trust you."
Steve looked at her. There was something different in his eyes—deeper. Not just love, but the pain of everything they'd been through.
"I want you to know that all of this—everything we've been through—it hasn't changed me. But it's shown me who I am when I'm with you."
Michelle leaned closer.
"And who is that?"
"The one who will never let you go. The one who will love you—loudly, quietly, publicly, secretly. Always."
His lips met hers in a sweet, gentle kiss. Not for the world. Not for anyone else.
Just for them.
And as they sat there, wrapped in each other beneath the slowly darkening sky, the hurt began to fade.
Not because it was forgotten.
But because love—real, brave love—finally had space to grow.