CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE QUIET BEFORE THEY LEAVE
The day before their honeymoon came to an end was surprisingly peaceful.
There were no disagreements.
No teasing.
No competition.
No reason for either of them to get irritated.
For once, Mia and Nathan simply enjoyed each other's company.
After breakfast, they decided to spend the afternoon at the beach.
The sky was clear, and the sound of the waves filled the air as they walked along the shore.
Mia removed her sandals and carried them in one hand as she walked closer to the water.
Nathan followed beside her.
"This is beautiful," Mia said quietly.
Nathan looked around.
"It is."
They eventually found a quiet place near the river, away from the other people.
They sat beside each other, their eyes fixed on the water.
Neither felt the need to speak.
The waves moved gently toward the shore before retreating again.
The sun slowly began to descend.
The sky changed from bright blue to shades of orange and gold, spreading across the water like a painting.
Mia rested her arms around her knees and watched the sunset.
She looked peaceful.
For once, there was no tension in her expression.
No frustration.
No thoughts about the wedding.
No worries about what would happen when they returned home.
She simply watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon.
Nathan, however, wasn't watching the sunset anymore.
He was watching her.
He didn't even realize how long he had been staring.
Mia had always been beautiful.
He remembered the girl he had known when they were children—the girl who would run around with him, argue with him over the smallest things, and laugh until she could barely breathe.
But the woman sitting beside him now was different.
She had grown.
She had changed through everything she had experienced.
There was something more mature about her now.
Something stronger.
Nathan's eyes remained on her.
The gentle evening light fell across her face, making her look almost unreal.
He quietly thought about how different she seemed from the girl he remembered.
She was still Mia.
But she wasn't the little girl from his memories anymore.
She was a woman.
And somehow, he was only noticing the difference now.
Mia suddenly turned her head.
"Why are you looking at me?"
Nathan quickly looked toward the water.
"I'm not."
Mia gave him a suspicious look.
"You were."
"I was looking at the sunset."
"The sunset is over there."
Nathan glanced at her.
"Exactly."
Mia narrowed her eyes.
"You're strange."
He smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
She turned back toward the water.
Nathan looked at her again, but this time he was more careful not to get caught.
Mia continued watching the waves, completely unaware of what was going through his mind.
After a while, she spoke.
"I don't want today to end."
Nathan looked at her.
"Why?"
"It's peaceful."
He looked toward the water.
"Yeah."
Mia sighed softly.
"Tomorrow we'll go back."
"Back to the palace."
She nodded.
"And everything will be normal again."
Nathan was quiet for a moment.
"Maybe."
Mia glanced at him.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing."
She smiled slightly.
"You always do that."
"Do what?"
"Say something mysterious and then pretend you didn't."
Nathan laughed softly.
"Maybe you think too much."
"Maybe you don't think enough."
He looked at her.
"And we're finally arguing again."
Mia laughed.
"That wasn't an argument."
"No?"
"No."
"Good."
They returned their attention to the sunset.
Neither of them spoke again.
The sound of the waves filled the silence between them.
For the first time since their wedding, Mia didn't feel like she was sitting beside a stranger.
And Nathan didn't feel like he was sitting beside the little girl he had grown up with.
They were simply two people sitting together, watching the sun disappear over the water.
Neither of them knew what tomorrow would bring.
But for that evening, nothing mattered.
There was only the sea, the sunset, and the quiet company they had somehow learned to enjoy.