Present - 23 No longer a...

"Do you want to leave?" Paul suddenly asked.

He did not look at her while asking her that question, maybe not wanting to see the happiness on her face or maybe ashamed to even ask that question. "If you want you are free to go whenever or wherever you wish to go, I'll make all the arrangements for that."

"I want to stay," Regina answered quietly.

"What?!" Paul could not believe his ears.

"How am I going to survive there? I could not even walk. I have no home to return to, not a cent to my name, and no job. I could not go back right now. And even if I could, I was not sure I wanted to."

Something held her back. " So, I want to stay."

Paul turned his gaze on her, unable to hide the relief in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" He asked just to make sure he was not imagining things.

She nodded.

A tsunami of joy swept all over the man, but he tried to keep his calm. "This offer is not temporary. You can always change your mind."