Two years.
Seven hundred and thirty days.
Countless calls.
Endless "I miss you's."
Too many lonely nights to count.
Athena had nearly memorized the rhythm of her life in New York. Wake up. Coffee. Work. Journal. Sleep. Repeat. And every night—no matter how late, no matter how tired—she FaceTimed Mason. Sometimes they talked for hours. Other times, they just watched each other fall asleep on their screens.
But they hadn't touched in two years.
Schedules never lined up. Mason's training ramped up fast after he made the official team roster. Athena's internship turned into a job offer, and deadlines devoured her calendar.
Tonight was one of those nights. Rain. Exhaustion. Dead phone battery.
She pushed the door to her apartment open, heels in one hand, bag slung over her shoulder, and her jacket soaked through.
The lights were off.
She frowned. "That's weird…"
Then her breath caught.
The table was set.
Two plates. Candles—lit. A small vase of sunflowers, her favorite. The scent of her favorite takeout wafted from the kitchen.
"Wha—"
"Athena."
Her heart stopped.
Mason stepped out from the kitchen wearing a navy button-down and jeans, hair slightly messy from the rain. But it was him. Really him. Not pixelated. Not behind a screen. Here.
Tears welled up before she could even blink. "Mason…"
He took two steps forward and wrapped her in his arms.
And for the first time in years—years—they were whole again.
"I had to see you," he whispered against her hair. "I couldn't wait anymore."
Athena pulled back just enough to look at him, tears running down her cheeks. "How long have you been planning this?"
"A few months." He smiled. "I waited for a night you didn't expect it."
She laughed, still crying. "You jerk."
"I missed you too," he whispered.
Then, without another word, he reached into his coat pocket and knelt on one knee.
Athena gasped.
"I don't care how far we've gone or how busy life gets," Mason said, voice steady. "There is no version of my future that doesn't have you in it. Will you marry me, Athena Jacobs?"
The world went silent. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart.
"Yes," she choked out, dropping to her knees and throwing her arms around him. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes."
They kissed right there on the floor, laughing and crying, lost in the moment.
For the first time in years, they weren't apart.
And for the rest of their lives, they wouldn't have to be.