Chapter 25: Full Circle

Looking back now, I could hardly believe everything that had happened. The life I had now was something I'd never dared to dream of, especially not after everything I'd been through. It was hard to even picture the person I'd been years ago—the boy too scared to love, too scared to trust anyone. And now, here I was, sitting beside the person I loved, the person I wanted to build my entire life with.

Isaiah was my constant. No matter where we were, or how tough things got, he was always there. It was as if we had our own language, something unspoken, something that didn't need words. A look. A touch. I didn't need anything else to know exactly how he felt.

We'd gone through so many phases of our relationship—awkward first dates, long talks about our future, disagreements that left us questioning everything. But we had grown. We had fought for what we had, and now we were living a life that felt more like home than I ever thought possible.

"Isn't it crazy?" Isaiah asked, breaking me from my thoughts. He was leaning against the kitchen counter, casually sipping his coffee as I poured myself a cup.

"Crazy how?" I asked, leaning back against the chair, just watching him.

"Crazy how far we've come. Like... just think about it. A few years ago, we were both so lost. Now we're here. Living together. Not just surviving, but thriving." He smiled, his eyes reflecting the light from the window.

It was moments like these that reminded me just how much he had impacted me. We'd been through so much. And I'd been scared. So damn scared to let anyone in again. But Isaiah had never given up. He never once made me feel like I was a burden, even when I couldn't express myself properly, even when I pulled away because I didn't know how to be vulnerable.

"I know," I said softly, moving toward him. I stood behind him, my hands resting on his shoulders. "I never thought I'd get here. But you..." I trailed off, not sure how to say it, but knowing that the words didn't even matter. The fact that I was standing here with him was enough.

Isaiah's hand covered mine as it rested on his shoulder. "We've made it through so much, Amir. And we're not stopping now."

It was true. This was just the beginning for us. We were building something that would last, something no one could take away from us. We'd had our doubts, our struggles, but we were stronger now. Every fight, every tear, every moment of doubt had led to this.

I kissed the top of his head gently, not needing anything more than that quiet moment. His hand found its way to my back, pulling me close, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.