Between Yes and Forever

The next morning, sunlight spilled softly through the curtains, casting golden patterns on the walls. Naya was already awake, lying on her side, watching Kain sleep. His face was relaxed, a contrast to the determined expression he usually wore during the day. She traced the outline of his jaw with her gaze, remembering the words he'd whispered the night before—words about growing old together, about futures and promises.

Something inside her had shifted.

She quietly slipped out of bed and padded barefoot into the kitchen. The morning silence was comforting. Tami was still asleep, her little world still at rest. Naya made a pot of tea, her thoughts swirling. They had talked about weddings, rings, and guest lists like they were flipping through a magazine. But it wasn't just playful talk anymore. It was real.

She was ready for that future. Not someday. Now.

Kain joined her not long after, his hair tousled, shirt unbuttoned halfway. "You're up early," he said, his voice still heavy with sleep.

"I had a lot on my mind," she replied.

He walked over, kissed her forehead, and poured himself a cup of tea. "Want to talk about it?"

She nodded and led him to the couch. They sat close, their knees touching.

"I was thinking about what you said last night," she began. "About making this real—public. About weddings and vows."

He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I want it too," she said. "I want us to make it official. With everyone we love present."

Kain's face lit up. He didn't say anything at first. He just leaned in, cupped her face with both hands, and kissed her. It wasn't passionate or hurried—it was steady, deep, filled with intention.

"Let's pick a date," he whispered when they pulled apart.

They spent the morning listing ideas—venues, colors, who would be on the guest list, what kind of food they wanted. They debated live band versus DJ, indoor versus garden ceremony. Tami, once awake, eagerly inserted her opinion at every turn.

"Can I be the flower girl and the ring girl?" she asked seriously.

Naya laughed. "Absolutely."

"Then I want sparkles. Everywhere."

Kain pretended to groan. "Here we go."

---

That afternoon, they visited a boutique hotel known for its luxury garden space. Naya had found it during a retreat two years ago and always said she'd love to get married there someday. The event manager gave them a private tour. The vines wrapped around wooden arches, rose bushes in full bloom, a small waterfall at the corner of the garden, and the warm scent of jasmine in the air—it all felt perfect.

As they walked through the garden hand-in-hand, Kain paused. He looked at Naya under the dappled sunlight.

"I know we're technically married already," he said. "But we never did this part right. I never got down on one knee. I never asked you properly."

Her eyes widened. "Kain—"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. "It's not flashy, just something I've been keeping for a while. I didn't want to rush it. I wanted the moment to feel right."

He got down on one knee, right there on the garden path.

Naya's hand flew to her mouth.

"Naya Lawal, I didn't meet you in the most traditional way. And I didn't expect to fall for you the way I did. But I did. Hard. You're my beginning and my calm. And I want to spend every day proving that to you. Will you marry me—again—but this time, with all the pieces in place?"

Tears streamed down her face. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes. A thousand times, yes."

He slid the ring on her finger—a simple, elegant band with a brilliant-cut diamond that caught the sunlight. As he stood and kissed her, applause erupted behind them. The event staff, who had been watching from a distance, clapped and cheered.

Tami ran over, arms wide. "Did you say yes? Are we getting married now for real?"

Naya scooped her up. "Yes, baby. We are."

---

The days that followed moved fast. Naya's calendar filled up with appointments—bridal boutiques, caterer tastings, floral consultations. Zara became her unofficial planner, throwing in ideas and teasing her about being a runaway bride turned love-struck wife.

"This is insane," Zara said during one fitting. "You know that, right? You were going to divorce him a year ago."

Naya laughed. "And now I want to wear a dress that'll make him forget to breathe."

Zara smirked. "You already do that without a dress."

Meanwhile, Kain met with Tami's school counselors, rearranged work schedules, and even started drafting the first blueprint for a future project—an inclusive therapy and wellness center, inspired by Naya.

"Therapy and healing should feel like coming home," he said during a pitch to potential investors. "That's what this center will be about. Real stories. Real people."

---

One evening, Naya was home alone, scrolling through photos on her phone. She stopped on one—Tami curled between her and Kain on the couch, all three of them laughing at something she couldn't remember now. The image made her chest ache. In a good way.

There had been a time when she thought love was something that came with rules. Standards. A roadmap. Now she knew better.

Love was unpredictable.

Love was showing up.

Love was a man who bought her father expensive wine, answered questions without flinching, and knelt down in a garden just to make things right.

She heard the door open and close.

Kain.

He walked in, loosened his tie, and made a beeline for the couch where she sat. "Missed you," he said, pulling her onto his lap.

"You just saw me six hours ago."

"Too long."

She nuzzled into his neck, breathing him in. "We're really doing this."

"We are."

"I want it all, Kain. The wedding, the after. A honeymoon. Maybe even… a second baby someday."

He pulled back to look at her, a smile breaking across his face. "I want that too. I want a lifetime of quiet mornings and loud afternoons. A full house. A full heart."

She kissed him slowly, sealing the words in.

The world outside buzzed with wedding stress and details to finalize. But here, in their home, the center held.

Love had rewritten their story.

And they weren't looking back.