They moved toward each other at the same moment, drawn together by instinct more than intention, the distance between them closing as naturally as breathing.

“Welcome home,” she whispered.

His smile—warm and achingly familiar—softened something deep inside her. He brushed his fingers lightly over the back of her hand, a touch that carried months’ worth of longing.

“Only now… now, now that I’m here,” he murmured.

“Come,” he added after a heartbeat, tilting his head toward their place beneath the tree, “sit with me.”