Chapter 24: The Future

A few years had passed, and I couldn't believe how much had changed. We were no longer those two scared kids just starting to figure things out. We had grown up a lot, learned what it meant to truly trust each other, and built something stronger than I ever thought possible.

Amir and I were living together now, in a little apartment in the city. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was ours. The walls were covered in pictures—moments we had shared, things that had made us laugh, places we had been. Our life wasn't perfect, but it was real. And that's all I ever wanted.

On a Saturday morning, we found ourselves at a street fair near the park, just enjoying the energy of the city. There was something about the way the sunlight hit the street vendors, the sound of laughter in the air, and the smell of fresh coffee wafting through the crowd. It felt like one of those moments when everything just aligned.

Amir had his arm draped around my shoulders, and we were making our way through the crowd, laughing at nothing in particular. It wasn't anything special—just a regular day. But the way we fit together now, how comfortable we were with each other—it felt like everything was exactly as it should be.

"I can't believe how much time has passed," I said, glancing over at Amir, who was grinning like an idiot as we passed a cotton candy stand.

He smirked, pulling me closer. "Time flies when you're having fun."

I laughed, nudging him playfully. "Yeah, well, I've enjoyed every single second of it."

We walked around for hours, enjoying the day, trying different foods, taking pictures, and just soaking in the simple joy of being with each other. It didn't need to be anything grand to be meaningful. What we had was special enough without needing anything else.

Later that evening, as we sat on our balcony with a bottle of wine, looking out over the city, I knew one thing for sure—this was just the beginning.

"I'm glad we've gotten here," I said, my voice low but steady. "And I'm glad it's with you."

Amir turned to me, his eyes full of love. "Me too. And I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me."

I smiled, leaning in for a kiss. "Good. I wouldn't have it any other way."

We didn't need to say anything else. We were finally at a place where we didn't have to explain ourselves. We just knew.

And that was enough.